No Escape
by HannahLloyd
Summary: When Caroline's friend, Brie moves to Mystic Falls to attempt to make a new life for herself when she breaks up with her ex boyfriend, she gets herself into more danger that she was already trying to avoid and she ends up in the arms of a Salvatore.
1. Mystic Falls

Brie's POV:

I put the last of my boxes in my car which was parked outside my house. Caroline had her car parked in my drive beside mine as I was going to follow behind as I didn't really know my way to Mystic Falls. Caroline was my best friend before we both moved to different town's she moved to Mystic Falls as I moved to Beacon Hills. We've been in touch ever since. But I needed to move, I had to make myself a new life there was too much drama in my life and I had to get away from it all. I had decided to move ever since I broke up with my boyfriend. It was just too awkward. Too much has happened that can't get resolved. Beacon Hills wasn't for me anymore. My mother died and my dad left town soon after she died, leaving me to live with my grandmother.

"You ready to go?" Caroline asked as she dusted herself off after putting a few things in her car.

"Yeah, one second I'm gonna go and say goodbye to my grandma" I said before running into the house. "Grandma?" I shouted as I looked into each room as I past.

"In here Brianna" I hear her shout from the kitchen at the end of the hall. I entered the kitchen as she was making soup for her and my grandad. "Is that you all set then?" She asked me as she stopped stirring the pot and turned around towards me.

"Yeah that's me all packed and ready to go, just had to say goodbye before I left" I said as I gave her a tight hug, not wanting to let go. "Thank you for everything, I can't thank you enough for taking me in" I muttered into her shoulder.

"That's alright sweetie, even though you're my granddaughter you will always feel like one of my own to me and your grandad" She said pulling away from the hug, looking at me while tucking a piece of hard behind my ear.

"I love you and I am going to miss you" I sniffed as I felt a tear dropping onto my cheek. She swiped the tear off.

"Your always welcome to come home anytime, even if it was for a few hours just for a catch up, the door is always open for you"

I smiled I was going to miss her a lot, she has been my rock ever since I lost my mother. "You better go, you don't want to keep you friend waiting" I nodded and gave her one last hug before I walked out the door.

Caroline was outside standing beside her car while speaking to my grandad. "You ready to go?" I asked as they both turned their attentions towards me as I walked down the steps with my grandma following behind me.

"Yeah just having a catch up with your grandad while I waited" Caroline smiled before she opened her car door and got in, closing the door behind her.

I turned around and looked at my grandma and grandad with a sad expression on my face, I didn't want to leave but I felt like it was the right time "I guess this is a goodbye for now" I said as I ran up to them and pulled them both into a group hug. A few minutes went by and I pulled away before getting into my car, closing it behind me. I opened the window "I'll call you to tell you I got there safely"

"Yeah make sure you do that" my grandma said as she does get worried about me if I am out she will call me to make sure I am safe and if I don't answer then she gets a search party out looking for me. And I am not joking. Caroline started reversing out the drive first, letting me get out. As I got to the end of the drive I waved to my grandparents before following Caroline out the street.

A few hours past and the longest drive ever we finally got to Caroline's house where I will be staying till I get a place of my own. She would kill me if she found I was paying 100's of dollars to stay at a hotel so she insisted I stayed at hers until I got familiar with the town and the people.

Caroline got out the car and closed the door behind her and opened the back door of her car and started gathering boxes and placed them on the ground, stacking them up on top of each other until she cleared the boxes out her car. I done the same as I started coping her and clearing out the boxes out my car. There weren't many boxes I brought, only brought essentials like clothing, makeup, toiletries, books and a few other bits and bobs that I would need. After 2 hours of unpacking I decided to give my grandma a quick call just to reassure her that I am safe and unpacked. Caroline sat on her bed as she waited for me to get off the phone. She texted a few people off her contacts but I didn't know who.

"Okay grandma, I love you too, good night" I said as I put my phone down and threw myself onto the bed next to Caroline.

"Everything all good?" She asked as she laid down next to me with her arm supporting her head.

"Yeah everything is fine, she's was on her way to her bed before I called her, I am shattered after that long ass car ride" I huffed as I checked the time on my phone. 7:30 it read.

"You want to grab something to eat?" Caroline said as she grabbed her phone and started texting people.

"Who you texting?" I wondered as I sat up and looked over her phone.

"Messaging my friend's Elena and Bonnie to meet us at The Grill for a bite to eat.

"Are those the girls in that picture frame?" I pointed to as I walked up to the frame and picked up looking at the picture.

Caroline got up from the bed and walked towards me and looked over my shoulder "Yeah Elena is the one on the left and Bonnie is the one on the right" she smiled probably remembering the day it was taken.

"Yeah are really pretty" I said as I continued to look at the picture.

Caroline chuckled "Yeah they are some girls I'm letting you" I put the picture frame down as I waited to know what the plans were. Caroline received a message. She picked it up, unlocked her phone and opened the message "Elena and Bonnie are on their ways so we better get our butts moving" Caroline said as she slapped my bum before leaving the room. I chuckled and followed her out the room.

At the Grill, Caroline and I entered the restraint/bar and Caroline looked around at her friends but couldn't find them so she walked up to a blonde guy who was clearing a table. As he looked up, he noticed Caroline walking towards him he stopped what he was doing and walked up towards her. They must have known each other. I followed Caroline.

"Hey Care, what are you doing here?" He asked as he threw the dishcloth onto his shoulder.

"Hey Matt, have you seen Bonnie and Elena anywhere?" Caroline asked as she was still looking around the room for her friends.

Matt pointed over to the other side of the room and saw Elena and Bonnie standing over at the pool table and dart board with two guys "Yeah they are over there playing darts with Jeremy and Tyler"

"Thanks Matt" She said before walking off over towards her friends but was stopped by Matt as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Woah, you not going to introduce me to you friend over here?" Matt said and he nodded over towards my direction.

Caroline totally forgot to introduce me to her friend "Sorry, Matt this is my friend Brie, Brie this is my friend Matt" W traded smiles and 'Nice to meet you's' before going over to Caroline's other friends.

"Caroline" Bonnie shouted as she came up to us and hugged Caroline as the other turned around. She noticed me and pulled away from Caroline "You must be Brie" she smiled as she pulled me into a hug.

"Your Bonnie, right?" I guessed, trying to remember which one was she.

"Yeah, it's finally nice to meet you, Elena come over and say hi to Brie" Bonnie waved her friend over.

Elena walked over to us and smiled "Hi nice to meet you I'm Elena" She said as she gave me a friendly hug.

"Brianna" I introduced myself, wow these girls were gorgeous up close. I felt a little insecure wasn't going to lie. Tyler and Jeremy came over and introduced themselves,

"Hi I'm Jeremy, I'm Elena's little brother" I looked at him in awe, he was soo cute.

"And I am Tyler" Oh so he was the famous Tyler, Caroline was telling me about.

I folded my arms and smiled as I watched Caroline and Tyler kiss in front of me "Brianna but everyone calls me Brie, so you're the boyfriend Caroline has been telling me all about"

They both pulled away "And you're the childhood best friend" Tyler smiled

"Maybe" I joked. We all sat down and ordered our drinks and food. I ordered a soda and a cheese burger and fries with a soda, while Caroline ordered a water and a salad. She was skinny enough I didn't understand why she was eating so healthy. Unlike me I ate like a pig eating junk food and fizzy drinks while these girls eat healthy and drunk plenty of water, no wonder their skins were so clear.

After a few hours at the Grill and getting to know everyone, we all decided to call it a night as we didn't want to stay up too late because it was the first day back of the new semester. My first night at Mystic Falls was fun. I made some new friends and I hope to stay friends with them throughout the school year. Once me and Caroline finally got to her house after 10-minute walk, we headed upstairs and put our PJ's on and got ready for our beds.

"So, did you enjoy your first night in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked as she took out her earrings and placed them on her dresser for tomorrow.

"Yeah it was great, your friends are so welcoming and lovely, couldn't ask for a better night" I shouted from the bathroom as I took my tooth brush and put some tooth paste on it and started brushing my teeth as Caroline got comfy in her bed. I finished brushing my teeth and placed it back in the holder before grabbing a towel and wiping her mouth before walking out the bathroom and getting into bed beside Caroline.


	2. New Semester

Stefan's POV:

It was first period English and I take the desk next to Caroline as the teacher, Mr Tanner walks in. "Okay class I want you to take your attention to the syllabus on your desk's in front of you which outlines the semester. Read it now and by read I don't mean skim." The teacher rolls his eyes as he sits down at his desk looking up at the students who are busy reading the booklet in front of them.

The sound of paper pages flipping rumbles toward Stefan as students start reading. It's strangely loud, causing his ears to twitch. Especially when a cell phone rings. He glances up. The other students quietly read the syllabus. Stefan appears to be the only one noticing the ringing expect from Caroline who was too busy paying attention to the syllabus. Gazing about, he can't seem to find the source until his eyes fall on the windows of the classroom. I look out in the corridor and I see Brianna. Eighteen and radiating with an innocent beauty. When she puts a cell phone to her ear, I can hear both Brianna and her caller.

"Grandma, three calls on my first day is a little overdoing it" Brie giggled.

"Just making sure you're there okay and you've got everything you need" But Brie digs through her bag, becoming alarmed.

"Everything except a pen. Oh, my God, I didn't actually forget a pen" Brie started panicking, her first day and she has already forgotten something.

"Don't panic. I'm sure you can borrow one from another student. Brie, I got to go. Love you" Her grandma said before Brie put her phone in her back pocket. Unable to take his eyes off the extraordinary girl, I watch the school's princial join her on the steps.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" The Principal guides her across the quad, their conversation becoming clearer to me with every step" Brie followed as the principal continued "So you nervous about you first day at a brand-new school?"

"I was but I've already met a few people that go here so that's but me to ease a bit" Brie smiled as she followed the principal down the corridor. The door opens, causing the rest of the class to look up.

The principal walks in with the new girl Brianna, I couldn't take my eyes off her, she was beautiful "Class, this is our new student Brianna Colace. Please do your best to make her feel welcome" Stefan watches on as Brie, she notices Stefan and they connect eyes before she heads for the one empty desk left in the room. Right behind him. She puts her notebook down, then glances up to see Stefan turned toward her. Holding out a pen. With a relieved but curious smile, she takes it from him.

"Thanks" Brie smiled as Stefan gives her a nod before turning back around.

Brie's POV:

Caroline notices Stefan handing over a pen to me and smiles as I notice her smiling at me, I mouth 'What?' I wondering what she was smiling at. Caroline looks at the teacher who was reading a book, took out her phone and starting texting under her desk. My phone vibrated and takes it out my bag and unlocks her phone underneath her desk and read's the text.

" **Stefan totally has the hots for you** **?** **"** **\- Caroline xx**

I rolled her eyes at her blonde friend's text and replies with….

 **"** **Care, I don't even know the guy, he only gave me a pen, it's we aren't going to run into the sunset and get married anytime soon" – Brie xx**

I could hear Caroline giggle at my message and looks up at me and mouths "You never know" she joked as a smiled at my excessive friend. The bell rang and everyone rushed out their seats, gathered all their stuff and rushed out the classroom one by one.

Stefan's POV:

I need to know her. Who is she? And why haven't I seen her before? I wonder where she is? I was distracted with all these questions that were running around in my head. I retreated around the corner, I crash right into someone. SHIT! I saw Brie. Her books tumble from her arms to the floor.

"Oh, my God" she says with a laugh "You scared the hell out of me"

"You okay" I asked, hoping I didn't bang into her too hard.

"Once my heart starts beating again" I kneel to help pick up the books. She notices my stare.

Brie looks at me with a shy smile "What?"

"Nothing. Just happy to see you"

Brie looks at me weird "Uh well, I'm Brie and you are?"

"I'm Stefan, Stefan Salvatore?"

"Salvatore? Do you have a brother by any chance?" She asked with a questionable look on her face.

"Damon? Yeah he's my brother unfortunately" I joked as she giggled. She had a soothing giggle that I could listen forever.

"Damon Salvatore, sounds familiar for some reason" I got nervous when she mentioned my brother. Has he gotten to her before I did?

"Do you know him?" I asked as I was suspicious to know how she knew him.

"Uh, no just recognise the name for some odd reason" She shrugged as she put her books in her bag. I felt a sigh of relief that she has never met him.

There was an awkward silence so I asked her a question to void the silence "So how long have you been in Mystic Falls?"

"Just moved yesterday, my friend Caroline got me here, and I am living with her for a couple of weeks till I've found my feet and get my own place, do you know Caroline?" She asked.

I nodded "Yeah me and Caroline have been friends since freshman year"

Before Brie could say anything else, Caroline came over to us "Oh great, you've finally been introduced to each other" Caroline said winking at her friend.

"Yeah because you are terrible at introducing me to your friends" Brie joked.

"Hey! That was only one time, I've been better since" Caroline chuckled. "Anyways just came over to invite you's to a party I'll be having tonight"

Me and Brie looked at each other before responding to Caroline's invite.

"Yeah I'll defiantly come" Brie smiled at Caroline then both looked at me for my answer.

"We'll if you going to go, count me in too" I smiled at Brie. Caroline could feel the intention between the two.

"Okay great, I'll see you tonight Stefan and I'll see you when I get home" Caroline said before strutting off to invite other people to her party.

Brie's POV:

I am looking for an outfit for tonight for Caroline's party and I hold a sweater up to her mirror and then I turn to Caroline who lounges on the bed. "Pass" She says as she flicks through her magazine.

I then grab a white shirt. "God, Brie. Respect for your taste? Dwindling by the second" Caroline gets up and yanks something black out of the closet. "This" I look at the dress she pulls out and take a minute to decide whether I want to wear it. Caroline looks like she is struggling a little bit and she tries to hold her arm up while holding the dress. "God, Brie hurry up and decide, my arm is killing me" Caroline said as she was struggling to keep the outfit up.

"Fine, I'll wear it" I said as Caroline sighed with relief and threw the outfit on the bed.

"Right my turn to pick an outfit" Caroline stood up from the bed and walked towards her closet, throwing outfits out of the wardrobe all over the room.

"Need any help?" I asked as I continued to watch Caroline make a mess of the room.

"Not with your choice of clothing" She said in disgust while still raiding her closet. I laughed as I watched her desperately trying to find an outfit for her party tonight. I could see Caroline becoming more stressed every time she comes across an outfit that she doesn't like.

"UGH" Caroline yelled and stormed up to the bed and laid down and sighed "This is useless, I'm never going to find an outfit for tonight" Caroline pouted "I'm just going to have to cancel" I rolled my eyes at my over dramatic friend and walked over to her closet and pulled out a white dress white a denim jacket and showed Caroline.

"What about this?" I said as I held up the outfit to give Caroline and better view. Caroline sat up from her spot and looked over at the choice of outfit I picked out for her and took a while to decide if she likes it or not, she's probably doing this on purpose because I done it to her. After a while of Caroline thinking if she likes the outfit or not, she finally gives me a smile.

"Maybe you have got a good choice in fashion" I fake smiled and handed her the outfit for her to try on.


	3. Studying

Brie's POV:

A crowd of students pass through the hall, students rushing to class. As the hallway clears of people, Brie and Caroline are walking down the corridor slowly as they had a free period and didn't have to rush anywhere.

Caroline looked at her friend is disbelief "Stefan's coming over? Tonight?"

Brie shrugged her shoulders "We're just studying together" Caroline and Brie come down the stairs, heading for their next class.

"Just studying never ends with just studying. It's like getting into a hot tub. Somebody eventually cops a feel"

"So what are you saying? Brie said, looking confused at her blonde friend as she didn't know what Caroline was getting at.

"I'm saying make sure he covers up" Brie looks at Caroline with an off look, which makes Caroline groan with frustration as her friend wasn't catching on "Hello, Snow White, I'm talking about a condom"

Brie laughed, thinking Caroline was over exaggerating a little "Are you kidding? After one date? Which was at your party last night"

"Well, don't be a total prude. You have to give him a little taste" Caroline smirked as she playfully winked at Brie.

Brie raised an eyebrow at the blonde vampire "How much is a little taste?"

Caroline gasped then had a huge smile on her face "Oh God. You really like him, don't you?"

"Don't be silly, I just met him and besides when I first got here I had this plan: no boyfriends until college"

"I'll tell you what to do. When's he coming over?"

"Right after school"

Brie is on her way home and pulls up into the drive and see's Stefan standing leaning against the wall of the garage. Brie steps out of her car in the driveway looking at him.

"How did you... You got here the same time I did." Brie questioned as she didn't understand how Stefan go home before she did.

"Uh..." Stefan hesitated as he to try to find an excuse as he didn't know if she knew about vampires. "I took a short cut. A short... short cut."

Brie raised an eyebrow at him "What's going on with you? You're acting all kinds of bizarre"

"I know. I think I'm just stressed about classes. I'm not doing as good this year"

Brie corrected him "Not doing as well"

Stefan smiled "Exactly"

"Maybe we should start with English" Brie said smiling to let him know it's a joke, she unlocks the front door. Stefan takes a nervous pause at the threshold waiting to be invited in.

Brie turned around "Don't worry, nobody's going to be home for hours, come in" With a nod, Stefan slowly follows her inside. The door to Brie's room clicks open. Stefan steps in, glancing around. There's nothing on the walls, no books on the shelves. Just furniture and moving boxes.

"I'm still unpacking" Brie said as she noticed Stefan looking around the room.

Still nervous, Stefan sits down on the bed and opens his bag, yanking books out. "I know you wanted to start with History so I brought the study sheets from..." He pauses, realizing Brie is standing over him.

"Let's start with something else" Stefan nods. Her hands gently come to his neck as she eases down to press her lips against his. The kiss is soft at first. But then Stefan pulls her closer. Brie falls back onto the bed allowing him to slip on top of her. Then kissing her harder, his hands grasps at her, fingers dragging at her shirt. When they come up again, his eyes turn yellow, realizing it, Stefan pulls away.

"What's wrong?" Brie asks as she looks down at him.

Stefan pushes her off him gently as he stands up from the bed as Brie sits on the edge of the bed looking up at him "Nothing, I just don't want to make you feel like you have to do something you don't want to do"

Brie shrugs her shoulders "I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. Are you?"

Stefan chuckles "You're seriously asking that question?" As she smiles and rises to kiss him again, Stefan's phone starts to ring. He picks up his phone and see's the caller, it was Damon. He turns his phone off "There. It's off. Sorry about that" He pauses, noticing something in one of the open boxes by the bed. All black and white attempts at artistic photography.

"Did you take all of these?" Stefan asked as he pulled a few pictures out of the box

"Back when I thought I could be a photographer." Brie said as she stood behind him, looking over his shoulder looking at the pictures in his hand.

"They're good" Stefan said as he kept his eyes on the pictures.

"No, they're not. I stopped when I realized I was terrible at it. The framing's off, bad lighting. Believe me. Not good" Stefan walked over towards her and pushes her onto the bed gently and gets on top of her.

"What if Caroline walks in?" Brie said worried as she didn't want her best friend walking into a heated make out session.

Stefan shrugs his shoulders and smirks "If we get caught I'll say it was my fault"

"I don't need you to take the blame for me. It was my choice too"

"Good, cause I'm totally going to blame you if I get caught" Stefan joked as Brie gave him a friendly disbelief look.

"Oh really?"

"Hell yeah. And she'd believe me, totally hot girl says to make out with her? Like I'm going to say no" Stefan smirked as he was still on top of her.

"So throw me under the bus just like that?"

"Throw, push, shove, should I continue" Stefan said as he slowly moved down closer to her.

"What if I decide to drag you down with me?" Brie said as she began to get flirty with the Salvatore. She grabs him by the shirt, dragging him toward her.

"I'd just yell for help"

"And what if I did this?" Brie pulls him close, kissing him on the lips.

"I'd scream for help."

"And if I did this?" She kisses him deeply, with more passion than the first kiss.

"I'd beg for mercy" Stefan said as Brie giggles. He takes her hand pulling her forward and then pulls her into a kiss.

Stefan pulls away and touches her forehead gently with his thumb and then Brie takes his hand in hers, keeping it on her cheek. He grabs her by the waist, lifting her right off her feet and pulling her back as if she weighed nothing and they fall onto her bed, kissing and touching each other with every imaginable ounce of teenage desire. As Brie puts her lips to his neck, his hand reaches up the back of her shirt, fingers finding their way underneath her black bra strap.

Brie whispers "Take it off"

Stefan looks up at her "You're okay with that?"

Brie stops him, pulling his shirt up. Almost hyperventilating in anticipation Stefan helps her lift the shirt over his head. Her fingers draw lightly down his chest making him tremble. Tracing the lines of his stomach she grasps his belt, pulling him back down to her and into a kiss. Then slipping on top of him, she draws his hands up her lower back and underneath her shirt to her bra clasp. But he fumbles with it, trying to unhook the clasp under her shirt as she goes at his ear. And then fingers slip right through the soft fabric. Stefan stares at them in horror. He yanks his hand out and Brie's bra with it. Then, bringing his lips to hers, he slides his fingers over her skin and up her shirt when someone knocks on the door.

Panicked, Brie darts up and off the bed. "Just a second" Moving quickly, she pulls Stefan up, tossing his shirt right into his face.

"Brie?" Caroline said as she waited on the other side of the door.

"Coming" With Stefan fully dressed, Brie unlocks her door for Caroline.

"What you guys doing?" Caroline playfully said as she walked into the room and went straight towards the bed and sat down looking at the two standing there awkwardly.

"Nothing. Just doing homework" Brie says as she turns her attention to Stefan then back to Caroline.

Caroline rolls her eyes "You think I am stupid" Brie and Stefan both shook their heads "I heard you two, vamp hearing duh"

"So, you know about vampires?" Stefan asked as he turned his attention to Brie.

"She's my best friend obviously, I know, along with Elena, yourself and your brother and Bonnie is a witch and Jeremy is a vampire hunter"

"Anything you don't know?" Stefan chuckled.

"Let's just say I am caught up with everything" Brie smiled who received a smile back from Stefan.

"God get a room" Caroline smiled.

"Uh, we did till you came traipsing in" Brie joked as Caroline just mouthed "My bad"

Stefan just stood there awkwardly watching the two "It's getting late anyways, Damon will be wondering where I am, I'll see you's tomorrow"

Caroline just sat there and nodded while Brie went downstairs with him and walked him out.

"She kind of ruined the mood didn't she" Brie laughed as she leaned against the door frame, folding her arms.

"Well, yeah" Stefan laughed "But was worth it till then" He smiled as he put a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Plenty more time for that though"

"Who said it was going to happen again" She smirked as she unfolded her arms.

"Think I just did" Stefan smirked back as he pressed her against the doorframe and kissed her passionately.

Brie pulled away slowly "Need to see, won't we" she smiled.

"Guess we will" Stefan said as he started walking out onto the porch and into his car and drove away while waving to Brianna on the way out of the drive and drove away as Brie closed the door behind her.


	4. Damon

Books piled beside her, Brie sits under her locker in the corridor while reading. A few remaining students amble their way down the hall in between periods. Brie remains transfixed by her book when Matt slowly approaches and stops to look down at her.

"What are you reading?" Matt asks as he looks down at her.

Brie glances up, startled. "Oh, hey. Just stuff for a history project" Matt drops his bag and sits next to her under the lockers.

"You have a free period?" Brie asks as she looks up from her book.

"No, I just don't feel like sitting through Chemistry"

Brie nods understandingly "Understandable. Did you want something?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk. Since Caroline didn't introduce us properly I thought I'd make the effort to do so, I'm Matt" Matt said as he put his hand out waiting for her to shake his hand.

She looks at his hand for a moment and smiles and shakes his hand "I'm Brie"

"So you ready for this exam today?"

Brie nods "Yeah Caroline got me very prepared for it" Brie picks up and shows Matt the schedule that Caroline gave her on how to study for the exam they were about to do.

Matt chuckles "That's Caroline for you" Brie agreed and was about to stand up "Here let me" Matt stands up and steps in front of Brie and gives her a hand which she takes and pulls her up from her spot.

"Thanks" Brie smiled as she leaned down and grabbed her bag and books and walked into the exam room with Matt. She walked down and saw Caroline, Elena and Bonnie already sat down in their seats waiting till the exam began. She sat in a seat next to Caroline who gave her a small smile and a mouthed good luck. Stefan follows the other students into the exam room. The moment he steps in, however, he spots Brie already seated. She gives him a brief glance, then focuses her eyes down, clearly trying very hard not to look at him. Stefan walks between the rows, heading toward her. Moving with determination.

"Brie"

Mr. Salvatore, please take a seat" With a nod, Stefan turns away and takes a seat near Elena while Mr. Tanner places a stack of Blue Exam Books at the first desk of each row. The students begin handing them back.

"You have forty-five minutes to complete the test. Twenty-five percent of your grade can be earned right now by simply putting your full name on the cover. However, as happens every year, one of you will inexplicably fail to put your name on the cover and I'll be left yet again questioning my decision to ever become a teacher. So let's get the disappointment over with and begin" Stefan gazes at the question, eyes blinking then looks over to Brie who is busily filling in her own test.

In the cafeteria after the exam Brie pulls a plastic-wrapped chocolate chip cookie from a brown paper bag during lunch. She smiles at the sticky note attached with a smiley face on it and the words: Love Stefan. Bonnie sits down to join her as she takes a bite.

Bonnie looks at her and motions her to side of her lip "You got something on your..." Brie looks up, chocolate on her lip.

Stefan walks over to the table "Here, let me" He reaches over and with his thumb, gently wipes the chocolate off her lip.

"Thanks"

"No problem" Stefan smiled as he stood the seat next to Brie.

"You want the bite?"

"What?" He glances up but she just holds out the cookie.

"You want a bite?"

"Oh. Um, no. Thanks" Stefan unconsciously slides a hand over the back of his neck

"You doing okay? I mean since the other night?"

"Yeah it was a good, you still thinking about everything that happened?" Stefan said as he put an arm and rest it on the back of her chair.

"Caroline" She glances down at him with a smile.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course" Caroline says and she starts following him away from the crowd. He leads her into a quite corridor. "Is it about the other night? You need someone to talk to?"

"I just need to ask you something" She crosses her arms, waiting as Stefan struggles with the words.

Stefan nervously rubbed his neck as he stood in front of Caroline, who was standing there waiting for him to talk "Does Brie like me?"

Caroline chuckles "Of course, she likes you"

"Really" Stefan asks looking surprised.

"Yes, she wouldn't of snogged your face off last night if she didn't"

Stefan felt his face burn up with embarrassment "About that Care, I'm sorry you had to see that"

"It's not like I haven't seen it before, you and Elena were like Rabbits when you's were together, not as bad as her and Damon thought that's a different story" Caroline joked.

"You haven't mentioned anything to her about Damon or she hasn't met him yet?"

"Stefan, if she has met Damon I think you'd know about it"

That wasn't the answer Stefan was looking for all he wanted was a yes or no answer. He didn't want to lose another girl to Damon. Katherine then Elena and maybe Brie. He wasn't going to let Damon get near her around him.

Caroline rolled her eyes "No Stefan she hasn't met him, that is what I'm saying" Stefan just nodded.

Brie was getting changed into her pj's when a crow came onto the window ledge and sat and watched her threw her clothes into a washing basket. She sat down at her dresser and looked at her own reflection in the mirror when she jumped at the sight of the crow sat watching her from behind. She got up from her chair and walked up to the window and shooed the bird away and then closed the window when the crow disappeared into the night.

"Stupid bird" Brie huffed as she went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. As she was brushing her teeth she heard someone enter the room. She looked up from the sink and looked to see who it was but couldn't see anyone, she just thought it was Caroline.

"I'll be out one second Care" Brie shouted as she put her tooth brush into the holder and wiped her mouth with a towel before hanging it back up. "Hey Care, sorry I was just brushing my….." Brie stopped in her tracks when she saw a tall dark haired figure standing in her bedroom. "Uh, who are you?"

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Damon" Damon said with a signature smirk.

"Salvatore? As in Stefan's brother?" Brie questioned as she thought it was weird how Stefan's brother was standing in her bedroom uninvited.

"You mean, Stefan's my brother, I'm the oldest and the handsome one" Brie rolled her eyes at the elder Salvatore who still had a cocky smile on his face that she just wanted to slap it off his face.

"Oldest, uglier, who cares" Brie rolled her eyes again, she didn't think Damon was ugly at all, she just said that to take the smile off his face. But she did think he was good looking but she thought Stefan was better.

Damon cleared his throat "Hmm not so easy are you little one" Damon said moving closer to her as Brie moved back trying to keep distance between them. "Not like your bestie Blondie, she was very easy to persuade" Damon smirked as Brie slapped him. Damon held him cheek and chuckled "Feisty, my type of girl"

"Well I am not your girl, Elena is, isn't she?" You know the girl you stole off your brother? Yeah, I know how you like stealing your brother's girlfriend's, does that satisfy you? Taking what you can't have, you thought Katherine loved you but she only used you to get to Stefan and the only reason you got Elena because she was sired to you" Brie felt guilty after saying those things as she saw Damon's lips formed from a smirk to a frown.

"Damon, I didn't mean…" Damon interrupted her.

"You're right, it's always going to be Stefan" Damon said as he sat on her bed looking down at his hands. Brie sat down beside and was hesitant to comfort him but she did as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Elena loves you Damon, she isn't Katherine, she may look like her but she's nothing like her. She chose you because she was in love with you and she always will be by the sounds of things"

Damon looked up at Brie "I don't know, to me I feel like I'm a project, an object that needs fixed"

Brie shock her head in disagreement "No Damon, you're wrong. Elena thinks the world of you, she doesn't want to fix you. She loves you because of your flaws"

Damon looks at Brie. Does she really care? Why is she saying all these nice things to him when he basically called her best friend a whore? "You don't know half the awful stuff I've done, I've caused them all pain, I used your best friend for my pleasure, hurt my brother repeatedly, turned Elena into a vampire"

"I guess, but maybe she's forgave you for all those things because maybe you're not the man you used to be" Brie shrugs as she stood up and walked over to the dresser and Damon stands just behind Brie who holds a concentrated gaze on something in front of her.

Damon looks at the bear with a tiny t shirt on reading "Mr Bear" she was holding in her arms "Your teddy bear's name is Mr. Bear?" Damon said raising his eyebrow "That's the worst teddy bear name ever"

Brie grabs the bear off him "I was five" she shrugged as she pressed the teddy bear against her chest.

Damon notices Brie's smile gone from her face and sits down and sighed.

Damon sits with Brie on the bed putting an arm around her making Brie feel a little uncomfortable. "Hey, what's up?"

"I just don't know"

"With Stefan? Forget about him you're going to break hearts left and right. He's lucky to have gotten the little taste of Brianna Colace's world that he got"

She shot him a look, how did he know her full name "But it feels so right with him Damon"

"What about this" before she could react he kissed her. Brie quickly pulled away and moved away from him.

"What the hell was that?!" Brie shouted, looking disgusted.

"Not the usual reaction I get" Damon said trying to make a joke but Brie didn't find it amusing as he did.

"You're with Elena and I'm with…." Brie stopped as she wasn't official with Stefan, they were still at the friend's stage when she says friends stage she means friends with benefits as they haven't put a label on it yet.

"You're with?" Damon said trying to make her finish her sentence.

"Your meant to be with Elena, you can't go kissing other girls" Brie said angrily as she couldn't believe he would do that to Elena or Stefan, well she shouldn't of as she knew what Damon was capable of.

"But I thought you cared"

"That doesn't give you the right, I was just comforting you, trying to make you feel better" Brie stating as she was just trying to point out how she was only trying to make him feel better after what she said that was all.

"Brie, you showed me that you care more about me than Elena ever did" Brie couldn't believe what she was hearing "What you said made me feel like I was something"

"Damon we just met, you've known me for five minutes" Brie was stressing out she felt like she's cheated on Stefan with the kiss she shared with his brother.

Damon stood closer to her and took her hand "Brianna, come with me we can leave Stefan and Elena and start a life together"

"Damon are you hearing yourself right now, Elena is the right person for you not me, I'm better with Stefan"

"But Brie.." Brie interrupts before he can say another word.

"No Damon, but nothing I think you should leave" Brie says as she walks towards the door and opens it for Damon to leave. She stood and waited for him to move but he just stood there "GO!" She shouted impatiently before Damon zoomed out the room leaving Brie to feel guilty about betraying Stefan.


	5. Early Doors

Slivers of moonlight stretch across the dark room to Brie's bed where she lies wide awake on her stomach, completely and utterly unable to get to sleep. The moment she lets her eyes close a shadow falls over her back. Stefan eases up behind her, gently moving her hair aside to softly kiss the nape of her neck when Brie turns over, rolling to her side, once again alone in her room. Until fingers begin tracing lightly up her arm. Next to her, Stefan draws his hand up over her shoulder and Brie turns again, this time onto her back. She squeezes her eyes closed, trying to shut him out of her imagination. But a moment later, Stefan slips on top of her again, softly touching his lips to her neck, then to the edge of her chin making his way to her lips. She rises to meet his kiss and sits up in the dark, alone and exasperated. Her fingers move to her neck where she imagined him touching her. She sighed and felt guilty about her kiss with Damon earlier on that night. It was keeping her up most of the night, she didn't know what do to? Does she tell, or doesn't she? I need to get out she thought.

She picked up her phone and called Matt, since they two haven't had much bonding time as much as she has with the other members of the group.

"Hello?" She heard Matt say over the phone, groggily.

I might of woke up him, Brie said in her head "Hey, it's Brie"

Matt chuckled "I know it's you Brie, it came up with your caller ID"

Brie felt stupid and laughed nervously "Yeah, sorry haven't slept"

"You okay?" Matt asked as he sat up on his bed, worried in case Brie was in trouble.

"Can you meet me?" Brie asked hoping he would say yes.

Through a mist-shrouded trail, a shivering Matt reluctantly follows Brie into the woods. "Brie, when you said you wanted to meet, a five-mile hike in the woods wasn't what I was expecting"

"It won't take long" Brie said as she started walking up a big hill, which heard a groan from a tired and cold Matt following behind her.

"Can you at least tell me what we're doing?" Matt asked as he followed her up the hill, taking a few stops and breathers before carrying on up the big hill.

"You'll see" Brie shifts a heavy black bag on her shoulder as she trudges up the path.

Matt folds his arms trying to keep some warmth in him "You know, the human body only has to drop to 95 degrees to be hypothermic"

Brie drops the bag and unzips it "We should be good here. It's isolated enough"

Inside the bag, she reveals a bow and quiver of arrows. Matt looks down at it and looks around to see the two of them are indeed completely isolated. Then gives a nervous laugh.

"Before my mum died and my dad left, they use to be hunters for vampires or werewolves and ever since I was 12/13 my dad use to take me out and show me how to aim an arrow and help me learn how to defend myself if I was ever in danger and since then I've been practising and practicing until I get better and now I am able to defend myself in any situation"

"So you're a vampire and werewolf hunter?" Matt asked raising an eyebrow since his best friends are all vampires and werewolves

"No, I am not a hunter I'm just good with an arrow" Brie playfully winked, Matt watches Brie take a normal arrow and twist off the Bullet Point. She replaces it with the conical flash bolt left to her by dad before he left.

"What does that do?"

"We're about to find out" Brie takes a firing position in front of a target pegged to a tree in the distance. Setting the arrow just under the sight, she expertly pulls back on the nocking point of the bowstring. Matt tenses up as Brie aims. Then lets the bolt soar. It explodes against the tree with a flash.

Matt crotches down and has his head in his arms, taking cover, after the smoke had gone he looked up and stood beside Brie "What the hell was that?"

Lowering the bow, Brie gazes at the smoking, target on the tree and shakes her head. "I don't know"

Matt hugs himself in the cold while Brie comes back to her with the charred target in hand.

"Well, that was fun. Any other lethal weapons you want to try out?" Matt asks as Brie stops, cocking her head as she listens to the woods around them. A moment later, they both hear it movement through the brush and leaves.

"What was that?" Matt asks as he moves closer to Brie.

Brie puts one finger on her lips to tell Matt to keep quiet but listens out to see if there is any more noise but turns silent "There's nothing, not a sound"

"Hold this" Brie hands the bow to Matt.

"What? Why?" Matt said while holding the bow away from him, not knowing what to do with it.

"I thought I heard something" Brie says still listening out for any movement. "I want to go find out what that something is"

"Don't worry, it's probably nothing"

"What if nothing is something and that something is something dangerous?

Matt starts nodding to the bow "Shoot it" Without another word, Brie takes off, leaving Matt to look utterly ridiculous while grasping at the weapon with his freezing hands.

Brie moves quickly but quietly. Something slips through the brush just near her. She stops at the sound and then retreats a step, pulling back against a tree. Breath held, she slowly steps away and spins back with a taser in her hands. She fires it through the air and landing on Tyler. He jerks back and falls to the ground with the strangled cry of someone being pummelled with 50 thousand volts of electricity.

"Tyler?" Rushing over, Brie attempts to pull out the prongs, but he's still convulsing with spasms.

Tyler yells in agony trying to tell Brie something "Finger, trigger, finger" Brie notices she still has her finger on the trigger still sending an electric charge into his shuddering body.

"Oh!" She opens her hand, dropping the weapon to the ground. Finally, Tyler breathes, his body relaxing into the leaves. "I'm so, so, so sorry"

"My fault. Totally my fault"

Brie still kneeling next to him making sure he was alright "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, f-f-f-fine" He shudders from the remaining charge still snapping at his muscles.

"I didn't know it was you. If I knew it was you..."

"You still would've pulled the trigger?"

Brie smiles "No, of course not. Seriously, I'm sorry" He plucks the prongs out of his shirt and skin, wincing in pain. Then, helping gather up the wires and the Taser, he's about to hand it back to her when his body has another uncontrollable convulsion. The taser launches right out of his grasp when Brie manages to catch it, glancing back to him with an unsure smile.

Matt comes out of the bushes and sighs with relief that he found Brie but he didn't expect to see Tyler in the woods, especially on the ground, groaning like he's just had a rough rugby tackle. "Finally, I found you but why is Tyler on the ground?"

Brie and Tyler exchanged looks before answering Matt's question "I might of accidently tasered Tyler"

Matt laughed as he couldn't believe his best pal got tasered and taken down by girl "You tasered your best friend's boyfriend"

"Oh god, what is Caroline going to say?" Brie started to panic, as much as Caroline loved Brie and saw her as a sister type figure, if she found out I tasered her boyfriend she'd have her hung.

Tyler laughed at a panicked Brie, and put a hand on her thigh to calm her down "Caroline won't do anything, she'll laugh along with us when we tell everyone" Matt said as Tyler looked up mortified.

"We aren't telling anyone about this" Tyler growled as he face became more and more red as they spoke about it.

"Oh I think we are" Matt joked as he laughed along with Brie while Tyler sat there in a sulk with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Can we leave now please" Tyler said trying to stand up as he still had pains in his stomach.

Matt nods in agreement "Yeah Let's go. My fingers are completely numb from the cold" Brie grabs the bag and bow, following Matt and Tyler back down the trail.


	6. Klaus Returns

A back bag drops onto the floor. Brie opens her locker and puts the bag into her locker before she gets questioned about what's in the bag. Brie closes her locker to reveal a smiling, Stefan standing right next to her.

"So, what time should I pick you up tomorrow?" She gazes at his excited appearance with

"Are you okay?" Brie asks, wondering why Stefan was happy this early in the morning.

"Yeah great, really excited to go to the decade dance with you" Brie nods and smiles at him.

Brie takes some books out her lockers before turning back towards Stefan "Uh, you can pick me up at seven, that's what time Tyler is picking Caroline up at or I could just meet you there and ride with them?"

Stefan shakes his head "No, I'm picking you up, seven it is" Stefan said smiling before taking her hand and walks to class. A spark was felt when Stefan touched Brie's hand, he was so perfect for her. He's so caring, kind, loving. All she wanted in a guy, but the guilt crept up on her. Stefan doesn't even know she's met Damon, never mind kissed him. A few weeks into Mystic Falls and she's already got herself into drama.

Everyone sits down in their seats before class starts. Elena takes the poster for the 60's decade dance out of her bag and shows it to Brie with a smile then she shows it to Bonnie and she nods her head and then turns back around in her seat waiting for class to begin.

Alaric walks into the classroom and puts books down onto the desk and looks up at the classroom full of students "Hello, class. What are we learning today?"

Caroline raised her hand and Alaric nodded for her to answer, "With the decade dance tonight, we've been covering the sixties all week"

 **"** Right, the sixties" He sees Brie and he looks at her for a while and turns to the board.

He writes on the board. "The sixties. I wish there was something good I could say about the sixties, but they kind of sucked. Except for the Beatles, of course. They made it bearable. Uh, what else was there? The Cuban missile thing, we walked on the moon. There was Watergate"

Elena cleared her throat and spoke up "Watergate was the seventies, Ric" her eyes widened when she realized her named her teacher by a nickname "I mean Mr. Saltzman"

Alaric coughed awkwardly "Right. It all kind of mushes together up here, the sixties, seventies. Thank you, Elena."

Shoppers rush the corridor of a mall. Brie follows Caroline into a Department Store entrance. Tyler came with us, Caroline must of made him go for advice and what he liked but Brie could tell Tyler wasn't enjoying the experience at all. Don't think dress shopping is his thing.

Caroline places a dress on a stack held in Tyler's arms.

"You're going to try all of these on? Is this a 24-hour Department Store?" He glances to Brie for help, but she's already at another section. Thumbing through the racks, she pulls a dress.

Brie glances up, caught off guard by the handsome stranger peering over the racks. "Sorry if that was intrusive. But considering your skin tone, I'd go lighter"

Brie was caught off guard by his thick sexy English accent but shook it off "Because I'm pale?" Brie raised her eyes but he just chuckled.

"Fair" Klaus corrected her "You can't call skin like yours pale. Not skin that perfect"

Brie looked suspicious of the compliment "Oh-kay" She said putting the dress back on the rack and walked towards another rack with Klaus following close behind her with his arms behind his back.

"Trust me, I have a unique perspective on the subject" As he approaches, something flickers in his eyes, either a reflection of the store's lights. She thought. "Would you mind?" Klaus reaches for her hand. Before Brie can even move, he has his fingers around her palm, delicately drawing her hand up.

"See? Much better" He presses a lighter fabric from the rack to her hand.

"You're not here alone, are you?" He inches closer. Brie takes an instinctive step back. "Friends looking for dresses too? Brie nods. He keeps coming toward her. "High school dance?"

"Sixties dance" For a brief second, Klaus's eyes reflect the light, like an animal's eyes bouncing back moonlight in the dark. But then…

"Attention shoppers. To the owner of a blue Mazda, license plate…" Brie blinks, snapping back to reality.

"Did she say blue Mazda?"

"5-U-N-I-7-6-8. Your car is being towed"

"What? That's my car" Klaus watches the suddenly frantic teenager race around the racks and go running for the exit. Blinking in momentary confusion, Klaus allows himself a smile and then disappears.

Tyler starts groaning as his arm's start to hurt with the weight building of the clothes he was holding "Tyler be patient, I want to find an outfit that is perfect" Caroline huffed as she was getting tired as she couldn't find anything to her liking. Brie walked up nearly out of breath. "What's wrong with you" Caroline asked with her hands on her hips.

"A woman said that my car was getting towed and I ran as a fast as I could outside and it wasn't even my car" Brie said taking breaths while telling them what happened "But glad she did, got me away from this creepy English guy"

Caroline and Tyler looked at each other knowing who she was on about "Am I missing something" Brie asked noticing the exchanged looks from the pair.

Caroline looked at her "Uh, nothing, Tyler put the clothes away and I'll pay for this dress, we need to go" she said rushing to the till with Brie following behind her while Tyler was left stranded in the aisle.

In the Salvatore manor: Stefan, Damon, Bonnie and Elena are in the living room when Caroline rushed in with Brie and Tyler following behind her. Brie walked in and saw Damon standing next to Stefan and they exchanged a look before Brie looked down on the floor trying not to make eye contact with the older Salvatore. She felt awkward standing there with Stefan and Elena standing on either side of her with Damon in front of her. Stefan and Elena looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.

"Are we missing something here?" Elena raised her eyebrows, looking in between Brie and Damon. Damon was about to open his mouth when Brie interrupted him.

"No, I just feel awkward because I haven't been introduced" Brie lied as Stefan looked at Damon, not believing what Brie had said.

"Oh right, well Brie this is my boyfriend Damon, Damon this is Caroline's friend Brie" Elena introduced the two when Damon was about to open his mouth again but was interrupted again but this time the blonde vampire.

"Leave the introductions till later shall we, we have bigger problems"

"What is it?" Bonnie asked standing there with her arms crossed.

"Brie has met Klaus" Everyone's eyes widened when Caroline revelled that The Original was back. Brie just stood there watching everyone's reactions. What was going on? Who's Klaus?

"So, we go to the dance, we find him" Damon shrugged as he walked over to the table full of bourbon and poured himself a glass

"Really? How are we going to do that? He doesn't even know there is a dance tonight"

"Uh, I might have told him" Brie said, immediately regretting where everyone's whereabouts was going to be tonight.

Someone knocks on the door. Alaric/Klaus enters. Klaus jumps in and out of Alaric's body as cover so no one knows that he is back in town.

"There you are" Damon says and he hands Alaric a glass of bourbon.

 **"** Sorry I'm late" Klaus/Alaric says looking around the room and his eyes fall on Brianna who is standing there looking confused.

"Uh, why is our history teacher here?" Brie asked looking at the girls who decide to tell her what Alaric was doing here.

Damon changes the subject and looks at Alaric "Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperone at the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move"

"Okay, so we find him and then what, hmm? What's our plan of attack?"

Bonnie pipes up as she reveals the plan she made with Stefan and Damon incase Klaus ever came back to Mystic Falls "Me. I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you can find him, I can kill him"

Alaric/Klaus sniggers as the little witch thinks she can take him down. "That's not going to be that easy. I mean, he is the biggest, baddest vampire around."

"Alaric has a point. I mean, what if he..." Damon rushes at Bonnie but she throws him on the other side of the room with her powers, without touching him. Brie smirked and looked down trying to keep the laughter in. She kind of wishes she had that kind of power so the kiss with Damon would have never happened.

"Well, I was impressed" Stefan said nodding looking impressed with Bonnie how she took his brother down. Damon groaned and slowly got up onto his feet.

 **"** It doesn't matter if he's an Original. I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, I know I can"


	7. Sixties Decade Dance

Caroline and Brie are all dressed up. Liz walks through the front door.

Caroline turns around to her mother "There you are! You almost missed me. How do I look?" She spins around to show off her costume.

"You look good" Liz says and then looks at Brie "You both do" Brie and Liz exchange smiles.

 **"** Thanks. Is everything okay?" Brie asked, concerned and she looked at Liz who looked pale white and tired.

 **"** Uhh, just some work stress" Liz say shaking it off.

 **"** Well, you work too much" Tyler knocks on the door. Caroline laughs and opens the door. "Mr. President"

"Hey" Tyler smiles at his girlfriend, Liz and Brie.

 **"** Hi" She tries to kiss him but he looks at the sheriff and goes back. Brie laughs as Tyler looks a little embarrassed.

"Have you seen Stefan out there Tyler?" Brie asked as Tyler looked outside and saw someone come out their other than Stefan.

"Uh, Stefan no? But his annoying dick of a brother is" Tyler joked as Brie rolled her eyes.

"Hey! I heard that Lockwood" Damon says stepping inside the Forbes house. Damon walks up to Brie who doesn't look very happy to see him "Someone looks happy to see me" he said sarcastically.

"Where's Stefan?" Brie asked crossing her arms and raised an eyebrow at the older Salvatore.

"Klaus patrol duties, he's already at the dance. He's waiting for you there. He asked me to pick you up and deliver to him safely" Damon smirked and looked around the room.

Brie rolls her eyes and picks up her bag and walks out of the house with Damon following behind her. Cars pour into the school parking lot flooding with teenagers in 60's retro dresses in knee high leather boots and hippie outfits. The dance has begun. In his parked car, Damon leans back, chugging from an unlabeled bottle. Brie watches from the passenger seat with an expression that could only be translated as yeesh. Finally, he lowers the bottle and offers it to her.

Brie shakes her head "I'm good, thanks." Damon reaches for the door.

"So where is Stefan?" She asks looking around and Stefan is nowhere in sight.

"He's already in there, he's on patrol to see if he can spot any suspicious Klaus activity. Brie nods and pulls down the visor for a last look in the mirror. She pauses, peering through the windshield. A group of student's head for the ticket table at the entrance and see's Tyler helps Caroline out of his car as Brie and Damon approach.

"Wow Damon, didn't notice how much effort you actually made" Caroline said impressed at the older Salvatore.

"Obviously. It's Hugo Boss" Damon takes Brie's in his arm, leading her to the entrance where Elena and Bonnie were.

60's music plays around the hall. Stefan stealthily keeps to the shadows while the rest of his class falls under the glow of multi-colored spotlight. Searching the faces, he finds his friends gathering by the tables. Damon talks Elena and Bonnie while spiking red drink cups from his bottle of vodka. Letting his gaze wander, Stefan spots Alaric right in the middle of the dance floor. But then bodies converge in front of him, teenagers surging to the start of another song and Alaric is gone. Stefan blinks, not sure now if he was there. All he sees are smiling classmates, everyone having a good time. Everyone except Brie, she stands uncomfortably next to Damon while Tyler and Caroline are on the lookout at a table nearby.

Damon turns to Brie "Do you want to dance?"

"Do I have to?" Brie shots a look at him with her arms folded.

"Not the response I was expecting. But no, guess not" Damon takes another shot from his drink. Wincing at the strength of it, he looks down into the cup. Then over to the extraordinarily beautiful Brie. Finally, he tosses the still quite full red cup into the trash and holds out his hand to Brie. Elena and Jeremy are standing near the drinks table. They're looking at Brie and Damon.

"What are they up to?" Elena asks her brother as she looks on at her boyfriend and her friend. She was a little suspicious when she first saw the reaction that was made when Brie and Damon met. Have they met before?

Jeremy shrugs and takes the last sip of his drink "Who knows?" He puts the cup down on the table and leaves to find Bonnie and Stefan joins her.

He catches her eyes on Damon and Brie who is on the dance floor. "Everything all right?"

Elena slowly shakes her head **"** I'm not sure"

Damon and Brie are on the dance floor and they are dancing in silence "You going to talk at all?" Damon asks looking at Brie who is making no eye contact with him.

"No, not to you anyways" She said as she continued to dance with him. She didn't want to be this close to him, she wanted to be this close with Stefan and dance with Stefan.

"We going on confront the big fat elephant in the room? Which is the kiss we shared"

Brie quickly stopped dancing and stepped back "That kiss was nothing, you're with Elena you should be sharing kisses with her"

Damon pulled her back into the dancing position and twirls her round and pulls her into his chest. "You're going to continue to deny the spark you felt, we felt when we kissed"

Brie sighs "Damon, there was no spark it is all in your head, your mistaking it with the kisses you have with Elena the spark is there with the two of you's but not with us and you got to accept it" But before Damon could get another word it Brie turns to an approaching Stefan. She falls perfectly under the rays of the spotlights as if the moment had been timed. Before Stefan can even open his mouth, she knew what he was going to say.

"Yes. I'd love to dance with you" Red spotlights flash over Stefan dancing with Brie. He can't stop looking at her. Brie looks at him self-consciously "What?"

"It's just hard not to look at you" He turns his glance to the floor. But she leans in, her cheek brushing his, lips to his ear.

Brie starts whispering in his ear "I like it when you look at me" Relaxing, he lets his hands close more tightly around her.

"I remember this one time, I was holding you and you fell asleep in my arms. I was watching you. I thought to myself I could stay like this for hours. Or maybe forever" Brie smiles at what he is telling her. "I kind of love the way you smile" Brie looks up, stunned to hear those last words. Before she could say anything, he takes her in his arms and kisses her instead.

She slowly pulls away to look at him. "Why did you do that?"

He says the next words simply and honestly. "Because I love you" Brie's hands move slowly up from his shoulders, her fingertips to his cheeks. Looking into his dark eyes, she gently guides his lips back to hers. For one moment, completely unaware of everything and everyone around them, they kiss softly and perfectly in the middle of the dance floor.

Everyone is dancing. Damon is dancing with two girls. Bonnie looks at him and smiles. Elena joins her "I need to talk to you" They leave. Damon's looking at them. Bonnie looks at him. Stefan heads over to Damon.

"Come here, please tell me you didn't know that Bonnie was on a suicide mission"

"Oh, great. Jeremy told you and of course you told Elena"

"Yeah, I told her. You promised her no more secrets"

 **"** I changed my mind" Elena and Bonnie are outside away from everyone else.

"How could you not tell me?" Elena asked as she was upset that her best friend was keeping the plan a secret from her.

"Cause I knew how'd you react" Bonnie said as Brie walked outside of the entrance and see's the girls standing there

"What's going on?" Brie asked walking up to Bonnie and Elena.

Elena shakes her head **"** No. No way, it's not an option we'll find another way, okay? Bonnie, you're not dying to save our lives"

"I have the power to save us! If I don't use it and something happens, that would kill me more"

 **"** I can't let you"

Bonnie sighs "Just answer one question...if the situation was reversed, would you do it for me?" Elena doesn't answer. Alaric/Klaus runs up to Brie, Bonnie and Elena outside.

"Elena!" Alaric shouts as he runs up to the girls "He has Jeremy"

 **"** Who has Jeremy?" Brie asks as he looks at her history teacher who just stares at her.

"Klaus has Jeremy. Come on" They follow him through a side door and into a hallway.

"Where's Jeremy?" Bonnie asks as she stops in the corridor and turns towards Alaric. Alaric/Klaus stops walking and laughs.

 **"** I just had to get away from that dance. The sixties, ugh. Not my decade" He laughs.

 **"** I mean, whose call was that, anyway? I much prefer the twenties. The style, the parties, the jazz"

Elena raised her eyebrow as she watched on as her guardian was acting stranger "What's going on?"

"Okay, I'll give you a hint. I am not Alaric" The girls looked at each other. If it wasn't Alaric then who was it?

"Klaus!" Elena growled as Brie looked confused, that wasn't who she met at the store. Alaric/Klaus smiles broadly.

 **"** Surprise!"

 **"** No, it's not possible" Brie said as she looked on and saw a completely different guy to who she met earlier that day.

"Just relax, Brie, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you. You're not on my hit list tonight" He looks at Bonnie. "But you are" He starts towards Bonnie but she throws him against the wall with her powers. He gets up. "Now, did I mention that I knew a witch? You're going to have to hit me a lot harder than that" He rushes over to her and she throws him against a display case, smashing the glass. He falls to the ground but laughs. "By all means...Fire away!" He gets up" "If you kill this body, I'll just get a new one. Maybe Jeremy"

Bonnie shouts at Elena and Brie to leave but doesn't take her eyes off Klaus "Go. Run. Run!" Brie and Elena both run and Bonnie closes the doors with her powers.

Damon runs through another pair of doors and joins them. "What happened?"

 **"** Klaus is in Alaric's body" Elena says as she takes fast breaths to catch her breath back.

Damon looked at Elena as if she was going crazy **"** What?

 **"** He's possessing it or something" Bonnie says as he looks at Brie

"Go find Stefan and take Elena with you. Now" Brie takes Elena's hand and runs off to go find Stefan leaving Bonnie and Damon alone. "Can you kill him?"

Bonnie gives him a small shrug "He's got some kind of protection spell on him"

 **"** You have the power of a hundred witches. Break it"

Bonnie gets frustarted at him as he starts telling her what to do "I'm trying! If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else. He knows I have my power, Damon. He's trying to kill me"

 **"** No. Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way. You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him? Elena and Brie move through the dance floor, looking all around her. Caroline who is with Tyler sees them.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Caroline asks leaving Tyler at the bar and walks over to the girls

 **"** Um...Yeah. I'm just...I'm looking for Stefan"

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Caroline asks forcefully as she puts her hands on her waist, giving both Brie and Elena a stern look.

"Klaus is in Alaric's body and we need to find Stefan" Brie revealing what was happening.

Caroline's eyes widened "Ugh" She looks around the hall and she sees Stefan and points to show to Brie where Stefan was and they go over to him.

Bonnie is in the hallway, alone. She walks determinedly through the hallway. She enters the cafeteria. Alaric/Klaus is sitting in a chair, a knife in between his finger. He wiggles the knife as he speaks. "What took you so long? Now, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?" She breaks his wrist of the hand holding the knife with her powers. The knife drops onto the floor. He grabs his hand and twists it with a jerk back into place. "The hard way, got it." He gets up. She breaks his shoulder with her powers. He groans. "What? You'd kill your favorite history teacher?"

 **"** It's what Alaric would want. And he'd want you to suffer first" Blood starts leaking from one of her nostrils. Brie, Elena and Stefan are running in the hallway. Damon walks out a door in front of them.

"There you are"

Elena looks about the corridor and doesn't see Bonnie in sight "What are you doing? Where's Bonnie?"

 **"** She's doing what she has to do"

Stefan gets impatient with his brother **"** Damn it, Damon, where is she?!" Bonnie is still fighting Alaric/Klaus with her powers. She breaks his leg. The lights flicker and a gust of wind sends papers flying. Her nose is bleeding a lot. She breaks Alaric/Klaus's foot and he falls to the floor. Brie, Elena and Stefan arrive. Bonnie shuts the doors so they can't come in.

"Bonnie, no!" Brie shouts as she watches on as Alaric/Klaus is crawling on the floor. Bonnie fights Alaric/Klaus and lights start bursting, sending a shower of sparks raining down. Elena screams. Stefan and Brie tries to open the doors but he can't. Bonnie looks at Elena with a smile. Alaric/Klaus gets up and Bonnie faces him. Suddenly with a jerk of her body she bends back and falls on the floor. Brie, Elena and Stefan open the doors and rush over Bonnie in the now dark room.

"No! Oh! Bonnie! Bonnie, Bonnie! Bonnie!" Elena takes Bonnie in her arms. Stefan looks around them. Alaric/Klaus is gone. "Stefan, she's not breathing!" She starts crying. Brie slowly kneels next to and checks Bonnie's pulse.

 **"** Stefan, I can't find her pulse! Stefan! Do something, please! Stefan, please! Just give her blood, do something, please!" Brie gets teary as she couldn't believe Bonnie was dead.

Stefan slowly looks up at Elena and Brie "It's too late, I'm sorry" Elena's still crying and shaking her head in disbelief.

 **"** No! No. No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie!"

Damon arrives. "Stefan, get Elena out of here. I'll deal with the body"

Brie stands up and looks at him in disbelief "What do you mean, deal with it?"

Damon looks at Stefan "Get her home. Now. So I can clean this up" Stefan grabs Elena and helps her to get up. Elena gets up. She looks at Bonnie's body, crying and screaming. Stefan takes her and they leave. Damon gently caresses Bonnie's face and closes her eyes. Damon gently puts Bonnie's body in the trunk and closes it.

"You knew! Didn't you? You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you? Damon nods and she slaps him.

 **"** You need to listen to me and prepare for what I'm about to say. Bonnie had to die. Klaus using Alaric's body was a total surprise. She wasn't prepared for that. And he wasn't going to stop, and we weren't going to be able to stop him until he knew she was dead. He had to believe it" Brie looked at him as she didn't quite know what he was getting at "She cast a spell. Bonnie's okay"

Stefan appears from out of nowhere "You know, you could have told me, you understand what you put Elena through?"

 **"** See, that's why I didn't tell you. Cause you would have never been able to do it. Don't get me wrong, Stefan. I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let her hate me for it. But at the end of the day, I'll be the one to keep her alive"


	8. The Mikaelson's Return

The door to the Salvatore Mansion clatters open, Stefan and Brie stumbling out, unable to keep their lips from each other. "This way" Brie says taking him by the lapels of his coat, she pulls him off the steps. They kiss again and again, moving away from the door until Stefan finally breaks away to gasp out a few words.

"Where are we going? "

"Somewhere we can be alone" Stefan stops. Hands still holding his, Brie nearly trips over her dress from the abrupt halt.

"Alone where?" She pulls him upstairs, hands intertwined in his, she keeps pulling him closer to the bedroom. Almost magnetically drawn to her, each time she kisses him, he finds himself moving forward another step.

"You sure this is a good idea?" She steps closer, whispering in his ear. "In a minute, you're going to think it's a great idea"

"I really hate when you say things like that" She laughs, enjoying his agonized response while pulling him ever closer to the door of his bedroom. She pulls open the door and hurries inside. He watches her through the door, smiling down at him. He watches her playfully urge him onto the bed with a guiding finger.

The morning after, Brie is in Stefan's bed and Stefan is nowhere in sight. She gets up and puts one of Stefan's shirts on and quietly steps towards the door and opens it slowly trying to stop it from squeaking. Once the door is open she sneaks downstairs and Damon comes up behind her. "Good morning"

 **"** Hey, I was looking for…" She turns around, and sees Damon naked. He smirks.

 **"** Oh!" Brie turns around again. "You heard me! You knew that I was here."

 **"** Yeah, you should learn to knock. What if I was...indecent?" Brie could feel the smirk forming from his lips, she puts one hand over her eyes and with the other hand she grabs a towel and throws it to him as she turns around but still with one hand over her eyes. He puts the towel on around his waist and Brie peeks between her fingers to make sure he's covered up. She sees he is and drops her hand from her eyes.

"Where's Stefan?"

"He is helping Matt move boxes at the Grill" Damon says as he walks into the kitchen, grabbing a blood bag from the fridge. "By the way you look good in a shirt, would be hotter in mines"

Brie rolled her eyes and ignored his comment as she took her phone out and called Stefan "You need to come home. It's boring around here without you, Damon is already irritating me, he's like wet paint that never dries" She earns a chuckle from Stefan "How's the Grill treating you?"

"Well it's teaching me the value of a mundane human experience"

"A summer job is good for you. You needed something normal in your life" Brie joked

"Look I uh...I got to go back to work. I'll talk to you soon okay?" He puts his hand on the phone ready to end the call.

"Wait, I love you" Brie said earning a barfing noise from Damon.

"Love you too, see you soon yeah" Brie nods over the phone and they exchange goodbyes from end calling.

Damon comes out of the kitchen and pretends to make out with himself "Oh Stefan, I love you"

Brie laughed at him and pointed towards him "You have problems" Brie said before going upstairs to change and ready for a jog. Brie is jogging through Mystic Falls. She checks her watch to see what her time was. She turns around and sees a man in a hoodie running towards her. She turns back around and starts running again. The man continues to follow her. Brie turns a corner and speeds up. After a while, she stops running and looks behind her. The man is gone. She calms down and turns around, when she walks straight into the man who was following her.

 **"** Excuse me, should have been watching where I was going"

 **"** Don't worry about it"

 **"** Have a nice day" He jogs away, Brie watches him go.

Damon shoots a dart. He goes to the dartboard and retrieves his darts and see's Brie walk into the Grill.

"You okay?" Brie asked as she walked over to him and sat down.

 **"** What makes you think I'm not okay?"

 **"** Well, you're day drunk. It's not exactly your most attractive look"

 **"** Hmm, what is my most attractive look?" Damon moves closer towards her.

Brie realized what she said and tried to rephrase what she was meant to say "I'm not saying you have any attractive looks. I'm saying this is my least favorite one...

Damon nodded "Noted, see if I can make any improvements"

Klaus walks into the Grill and see's Damon and Brie over in the corner and smirks before he walks over to them "Don't mind me"

Brie looked up and moved a few steps back "Klaus"

Damon rolls his eyes at The Original **"** You gonna do this in the Grill? In front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?"

 **"** I don't know what you are talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate" The jogger that followed Brie shows up behind him. "Get a round in, would you Tony?" Klaus smiles, seeing that Brie is shocked.

"I'm surprised you stuck around town long enough for happy hour"

"Truth is I've grown to rather like your little town. Think I might fancy a home here. Oh I imagine you're wondering how does this is affect you. The answer is: not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves you can go on living your little lives however you choose, you have my word"

Brie wasn't buying the originals words, and she didn't think Damon did either, he was up to something but she couldn't put her finger on it "What more could you possibly want?"

Klaus moves toward Brie and Damon steps in between them while Klaus smirks.

"What do you really want Klaus?" Damon asks still guarding Brie from the original.

Elena and Brie walk up to Elena's house. "Thanks for walking me home"

 **"** Are you doing okay? This has to bring up a lot for you"

 **"** We've all lost a lot"

 **"** It's this town, it's messed up. None of us should have to live this way" They walk into the house together. Elena tries to turn on the lights, but they don't come on.

 **"** That's weird"

 **"** Electricity must be out" They walk into the kitchen, Elena opens a cupboard and grabs two flashlights, she hands one to Brie.

"Here" She turns her flashlight on "I think I have some candles over there" Elena walks over to the other side of the kitchen and sees a puddle of blood. **"** Oh my God!"

"What the hell?" Elena moves her flashlight beam into the hallway. They see bloody hand-prints on the wall. Elena and Brie grab knives.

"Brie" They follow the bloody footprints out of the kitchen. They go up the stairs, there are more bloody hand-prints on the wall. Elena gets to the top of the stairs and looks around. She sees Alaric lying in a doorway with a knife through his stomach. She gasps and rushes over to him. Brie is right behind her. "Ric! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Elena goes to pull the knife out but Alaric screams.

Brie stops her. "Leave it in! He's lost too much blood, I'm gonna call 911"

Elena grabs Alaric's face and looks at him "Ric, look at me. Who did this to you?"

 **"** I don't know." Alaric manages to get out.

 **"** Oh my God, there's a lot of blood, Brie!" Elena starts to panic as she tries to put pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow.

 **"** I know, I know, Elena. I know" Brie starts to panic as she starts dialing the number on her phone.

 **"** You have to kill me"

"What?" Elena questions in shock, why does Alaric want her to kill him?

 **"** Elena, you have to kill me" She grabs his hand and sees he's still wearing the ring.

 **"** Wait, wait, wait, Brie, hang up, hang up. He's right. If he dies a supernatural death, then he'll come back to life and he'll be healed" Elena shouted for Brie to hear who was downstairs on the phone.

Brie hangs up the phone and goes back upstairs "But, how do you know who did this is supernatural?"

 **"** That's what he's saying, we don't but...I'm the doppelgänger and a vampire" She takes the knife she grabbed from the kitchen. **"** That makes me supernatural"

 **"** Elena! No, this is messed up!" Brie said snatching the knife out of Elena's hands. She couldn't believe Elena was going to kill their teacher and her guardian.

Elena grabs the knife **"** He's dying, Brie!" Elena kneels beside Alaric and slides his top and stabs Alaric in the chest, killing him.

Elena is sitting next to Alaric's body. Brie comes up the stairs and kneels next to her. **"** He's still out?

Elena nods. "Will you stay with me? Until he wakes up?"

 **"** Of course," Brie says as puts a strand of Elena's hair behind her ear.

 **"** I can't lose any more family" Elena starts to cry, and Brie takes her in her arms and comforts her.

Meanwhile Damon is in Stefan's room with two shirts in his hands. Stefan enters topless. "Get dressed. We're going out"

 **"** Yeah, sorry, not interested" Stefan puts on a shirt.

 **"** I didn't ask, Klaus and I have scheduled a very old-fashioned sit-down with you and him. I say go with the black. Makes you look all villainy"

 **"** Klaus won't make a deal, Damon."

 **"** He didn't have to. All we're doing is buying a little time to give our wicked witches a chance to pop the top off the coffin"

 **"** So, that's your, uh, plan? Stall Klaus?" So you unleashed an Original to help him out?"

 **"** Undaggering Elijah was smart, Stefan. Are you kidding me? After what Klaus did to him? He's in vengeance mode. It's perfect"

 **"** There's nothing smart about trusting Elijah, Damon. He screwed us over the last time he promised to help us kill Klaus"

 **"** Yeah, the way you've been acting, I trust him about as much as I trust you So get ready and get happy. We're going to negotiate a fake truce and I don't want your attitude screwing it up"

Elijah opens the door. Stefan and Damon are standing outside. "Niklaus, our guests have arrived"

 **"** Damon. Stefan. Elijah tells me, you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?" They are standing in the dining room. The table is set and there's food on it. Two female servants are standing in the room.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus. Fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told I had to cause you would hear us out."

 **"** Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours" Klaus says smiling as he leans on the back of one of his dining room chairs.

They sit at the table and everyone except Stefan eats and drinks. One of the servants pours Damon some wine. "Thank you, love"

 **"** You lost your appetite." Klaus nods towards Stefan's direction who hasn't touched a bite of his food.

Damon looks at Stefan who is just staring down Klaus **"** Eat, I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home"

 **"** That's the spirit. Isn't it nice? Four of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?"

 **"** Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier" Damon says as he playfully winks at Elijah.

Klaus looks at Stefan again "Where is the lovely Brianna tonight?"

Stefan knew that Klaus wanted a bit of dirt off Brie "One more word about Brie and this dinner's over" Klaus smiles and puts a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet about Brie.

Damon could feel the tension in the room **,** did Klaus like Brianna too? **"** You know what, probably best just to keep Brie in the do-not-discuss pile"

Elijah sits there awkwardly and decides to change the subject back to what they are all actually here for "So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?"

 **"** That's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan and Brie live happily ever after. No grudges"

Elijah nods and looks at his brother, who doesn't seem keen on the deal "The deal sounds fair, brother"

"Brianna is captivating to me and I want to get to know her more, I will never leave her behind" Klaus smirks and looks at Stefan was out of his chair looking to attack the original but Damon pulls him back down onto his chair.

Klaus gets up and starts to pace. "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before you turn her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between our feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Brianna Colace is...the two of you"

Stefan gives a weak smile, then looks at Damon "I'm gonna get some air" Stefan gets up.

"Let me deal with this" Elijah gets up and follows Stefan, leaving Klaus and Damon alone.

 **"** All this talk has made me thirsty. He looks at one of the servants and she walks over to him. "What do you say Damon? Can I interest you in a little after-dinner drink?" Klaus bites her neck and drinks her blood. Klaus finishes feeding on the blonde servant girl and drops her dead body to the floor. "Delicious, aged to perfection"

 **"** Well, I guess the only reason you agreed to this evening, Klaus, is to drive a wedge between me and my brother"

 **"** Oh no, you're doing that well enough on your own because of Brianna, you're gonna lose your brother and you'll only have yourself to blame" Stefan and Elijah re-enter. "So, what do you say Stefan, hmm? Do we have a deal?"

Stefan starts walking over to Klaus. Klaus holds his hand out to Stefan. Stefan grabs his hand. "Nice try, Klaus but no deal" Klaus breaks Stefan's arm. He kicks his leg and breaks it as well. He pushes Stefan's hand into the fireplace, and it starts to burn. Damon attempts to rush over to him, but Elijah intercepts him and pushes him against a wall.

 **"** What are you doing?" Klaus continues to hold Stefan's arm in the fire. His arm is badly burnt.

 **"** Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive" Klaus said looking at the older Salvatore.

 **"** I'll get it" Damon says as he walks out of the room.

 **"** Go with him, brother. You keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family." Klaus is keeping Stefan's arm in the fire.

 **"** Go ahead and kill me. I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin" Klaus pulls Stefan out of the fireplace.

 **"** You really have given up, haven't you? Where's the fight? Where's the ripper?" He pushes Stefan. Stefan pushes back. Suddenly, Elijah and Damon re-enter the room next to the other female servant who is carrying a tray. **"** Elijah...why haven't you left?"

 **"** Where are your manners, brother? We forgot dessert" Elijah takes the cover off the tray the blonde woman is carrying. Two silver daggers lie on it.

Klaus's eyes widenend **"** What have you done?"

 **"** What have _you_ done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now" Kol enters the room."

 **"** Kol" Klaus says as he sees his younger brown enter the room, and takes a few steps back in surprise.

 **"** Long time, brother" Klaus starts to back away. Finn suddenly appears, and he grabs a dagger and stabs Klaus through the hand.

 **"** Finn, don't!" He rushes away, but runs into Rebekah. "Rebekah!" She stabs him with a dagger.

 **"** This is for our mother" She pulls the dagger out and Klaus falls back into Kol's arms. Kol restrains him. Elijah looks at Damon and Stefan.

 **"** You're free to go. This is family business." Damon and Stefan walk past Klaus, as he gives them a death stare.


	9. Dangerous Liaisons

It's nighttime. Brie is standing in a hallway and Elena walks up to her. "How's he doing?"

 **"** Resigned to spending the night in observation, so long as I promise to change the lock on the house" Someone is looking at them through a room window as they walk towards the exit.

 **"** So I talked to Bonnie earlier. She and her mom are fine. Have you talked to Caroline?"

 **"** Yeah, she's holding it together, any word on who's behind these attacks?"

Elena shakes her head "No, Sheriff Forbes said there's no real suspects at all" They're now walking outside the hospital in the parking lot. **"** How are you dealing with everything? I mean, you keep getting dragged into all of this"

"Honestly, I'm use to the drama and the supernatural, my mother and father dragged me into that years ago"

 **"** Thank you, for everything today. Really"

 **"** Get home safe"

 **"** Thanks" She sighs and walks to her car. Brie gets into her car and reverses out. Elena waves to him from inside her car as she's driving away. The next morning the doorbell rings at The Gilbert house and Elena goes and opens the door. No one is there, but on the doormat, is an envelope with an ornately-handwritten "Elena Gilbert" on the front. She picks it up, closes the door and turns around. Damon and Stefan are in the corridor near her.

"What is it?" She opens the envelope and removes a card.

 **"** It's an invitation, please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration."

Damon raises his eyebrow **"** Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?"

 **"** The Original Family" Elena said as she was still looking at the invitation.

 **"** It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" She turns the card over and sees there's writing on the back.

Meanwhile in the Forbes residence, someone knocks on the door. Brie opens it and finds a box with a ribbon around it on her doorstep. She brings it inside and looks at the envelope on it with her name handwritten on it. She opens it and sees the exact same invitation card to Klaus's ball that Elena and Caroline received. She turns it over and sees that Klaus has written "Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus." on the back.

Brie scoffs **"** Seriously?" Brie opens the box and sees a beautiful purple dress. She places the lid back on the box.

Caroline walks into the room "It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an actual ball, it's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is"

Brie shrugs and sits on the bed **"** I have no idea. There's only one way to find out"

Caroline looked at her and asked **"** I thought you told Damon and Stefan that you weren't going"

Brie nodded **"** I did, which is all the more reason why I need a drama free bodyguard"

 **"** Well, I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux and by that, I mean Stefan"

"Ugh I can't even deal with Damon right now" Brie rolled her eyes

"What time is this stupid dance at?" Caroline asks as she walks up to her wardrobe and finds the dress she's wearing tonight. It's evening. Cars are pulling up the driveway in front of the mansion. Inside there are lots of people talking. A live band is playing classical music. Stefan sees Brie enter wearing an exquisite dress. He stares at her. Stefan walks up to her and offers Brie his arm and she wraps hers in it and escort her into the party. Klaus is standing talking to a few guests with his mother when he see's Stefan and Brianna walk into the ball room. Brie notices Klaus staring at her when he raises a glass towards her, she gives him a small smile and turns around to Stefan who gives her a glass of champagne.

Elijah makes an announcement. "Uh, if everyone could gather, please" All the Originals are standing on the staircase as Elijah addresses the company. Esther walks down the staircase from upstairs. "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance" Damon and Stefan notice Esther.

 **"** Do you see who I see?" Damon mumbles to Stefan.

"Oh, yeah" Stefan says still looking at all the originals on the staircase.

 **"** Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom" Esther retreats silently back upstairs.

Brie moves to walk towards Stefan, but Klaus blocks her way. Klaus extends his hand towards her "It would be rude not to dance, you know" Brie relents, takes his hand and curtsies. Klaus and Brie walk out to the ballroom as Stefan watches them with a depressed look on his face. In the ballroom, everyone is dancing the waltz.

"I'm glad you came and you look ravishing you look in that dress." Klaus says while dancing with Brianna.

"I didn't really have time to shop" Brie said trying to look for an excuse to give to the original. Klaus twirls her around and she's suddenly in Stefan's arms. They dance together.

"What did he want?" Stefan asked while keeping an eye on Klaus who was dancing with another woman.

"Just wanted a dance, that's all" Brie simply said as she didn't want to talk about Klaus. After dancing with Stefan, Brie is outside, admiring the horses when Klaus approaches her.

 **"** You like horses?"

Brie rolled her eyes and cut to the chase "Why you invited me here.

Klaus smiles at her **"** I fancy you. Is that so hard to believe?"

 **"** Yes!" Brie yelled in annoyance

 **"** Why? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light. I enjoy you"

"Well I'm spoken for, by Stefan"

"I thought you's haven't, what do people now say? Made it official" Klaus says as he strokes the horse.

"We aren't, well not yet" Brie said struggling to know what her and Stefan was since they've never really spoke about it.

"So you aren't spoken for. You know, horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal. My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favorite horse. He severed its neck with a sword as a warning"

Brie crossed her arms **"** Did you ever consider sitting down with your father and talking it out?"

 **"** Well, I'm afraid my relationship with my father was a little bit more complex than yours"

 **"** Maybe so. But I let my father go with no regrets. And to answer your question, yes, I like horses. But I also like people and they actually like me so I'll be inside." Brie says as she turns on her heels and walks into the Mikaelson mansion leaving Klaus to smile at her remark. Later Klaus and Brie are alone in a room filled with paintings on the walls.

 **"** So what did you want to show me?

 **"** One of my passions"

 **"** Oh. Impressive. I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain" Brie said sarcastically.

Klaus chuckles **"** Yeah, well that's their mistake"

 **"** What about these? Where'd you steal this from?" Brie holds her wrist with the bracelet on it.

 **"** Well, that's a long story but rest assured it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you" Brie rolls her eyes expressively, Klaus looks away in embarrassment. She looks down and notices some sketches.

"Yeah, actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"

 **"** I've never really been anywhere"

"I'll take you. Wherever you want Rome. Paris. Tokyo?"

 **"** Oh wow! They both laugh. "Must be really nice to just snap your fingers and get whatever you want. Is that why you collect hybrids? A little servant army to take you places and bring you things"

 **"** You're making assumptions"

 **"** Then why do you need Tyler? Stop controlling him. Give him his life back and Caroline's"

 **"** You know, this has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave"

 **"** I get it. Your father didn't love you, so you assume that no one else will either. And that's why you compel people or you sire them or you try to buy them off" Brie takes her bracelet off and throws it on the table. "But that's not how it works. You don't connect with people, because you don't even try to understand them" Brie walks out leaving Klaus visibly upset.

Later, Brie is in her bedroom and leaves a message for Stefan. "Hey Stefan, sorry I rushed out and left you at the ball but I had a headache so I thought it was best for me to leave, hope you enjoy your night and just remember that I love you" She hangs up. She looks in her dresser mirror and notices another present from Klaus on her bed. Brie scoffs "Seriously? Just give up already" Brie opens the present and takes out a rolled-up piece of paper. It's a sketch of her and a horse, and on it Klaus has written "Thank you for your honesty, Klaus".


	10. All My Children

At Elena's house, Bonnie is sitting on Elena's bed with her grimoire and a tray before her containing three lit candles and a bowl in which she is burning sage, while Elena talks to her. Caroline and Brie enters the room.

 **"** It's not working. I can hear every word you're saying about Damon, the vampire gigolo"

 **"** I don't know, it's a tricky spell"

 **"** When Esther did it, she kept the sage burning. There was a lot more smoke"

 **"** Alright" Bonnie relights the sage. "Try it again" Caroline scoffs and leaves the room again. "Speaking of Esther, you should know that she came to see me and Abby this morning"

Brie sat on the bed beside Bonnie "Well, what did she want?"

 **"** She wanted to introduce herself. Abby and I helped bring her back. She's channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power. I think she thought she was being polite"

Brie exchanged a look with Elena before saying something "Okay, well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?"

 **"** Even if there was, why would I want that?"

Elena shrugged **"** I just keep thinking before the sun and the moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive and now I'm in exactly the same position and I'm just gonna let him die? It just doesn't feel right"

Caroline re-enters the room. "Okay. Firstly, this privacy spell is totally not working. Second. Elena, _you_ are not doing this, Esther is doing this"

 **"** There's no time to change your mind, Elena. He'll be dead by the end of the night It's a full moon Esther needs to harness the energy of a celestial event. She asked me and Abby to join her" There's a knock on the door and Brie decides to get it and walks down stairs and answers it. Elijah is outside.

"Brianna"

Brie was hesitant to slam the door in his face but decided not to as she didn't know what the older original was capable of **"** Elijah"

 **"** I don't mean to intrude. I was hoping you might accompany me. I want to show you something"

Elijah parks his car and he and Brianna get out and walk around. "Forgot how much I missed this land"

Brie walks beside him as she continues to walk to wherever he was taking her **"** I can't even imagine what it must have been like a thousand years ago"

Elijah stopped in his tracks and faced Brianna **"** You know, your school was built over an Indian village. Where I saw my first werewolf. The town square was where the natives would gather to worship. Matter of fact, near that, there was a field where wild horses use to graze"

Brie raises an eyebrow how he knew so much he remembered thousands of years ago "That's incredible"

Elijah gestures for her to follow as he continues to walk "Below us is a cavern I use to play in as a boy. Connects to a system of tunnels that stretch across the entire area. Perhaps it's nature's way of providing us with shelter against the savagery of the full moon. My mother said there must be a balance"

"Elijah, I should probably go home"

 **"** I admire you, Brianna. You remind me of qualities I valued long before my mother turned us, it's not in your nature to be deceitful and yet when I asked about Elena's meeting with my mother the other night, you lied to my face"

 **"** That's not true. I told you that all your mother wanted was a new start"

Elijah can hear her heartbeat thump quickly "I can hear your heartbeat. It jumps when you're being dishonest with me, you are lying to me now, tell me the truth"

"We were told that whatever was going to be in that coffin was going to kill Klaus. When we found out that it was your mother, we didn't know what to think"

"Since her return she says she only wants this family whole again"

 **"** When she asked to see Elena, we thought that maybe she could help, that she would find a way to kill Klaus. It's not just Klaus that she wants to kill"

Elijah began to click on to what Brianna was getting at "She wants to kill us all, doesn't she? She wants to undo the evil she created"

Brie nodded slowly, feeling sorry for the elder Mikealson "I'm so sorry, Elijah, I wish there was something I could do to help"

 **"** You know, one thing I've learned on my time on this Earth...be careful what you wish for" Elijah breaks a hole into the Earth, grabs Brianna and jumps down the hole with her. Later, Brie is alone in the cavern, trying to get a signal on her cell phone. Brie is walking around in the underground tunnels, trying to find a way out. She thinks she sees a way when Rebekah appears, blocking her escape.

 **"** Going somewhere?" She smiles as she walks closer towards Brie.

 **"** What are you doing here?" Brie asked as she stepped backwards every time Rebekah stepped forwards.

Rebekah thought for a second before answering "Not much. Unless you try to run. In which case, I get to kill you"

Stefan enters the house. "I can't find her anywhere" He walks into the living room and sees Elijah sitting by the fireplace, talking to Damon.

 **"** Hello, Stefan."

 **"** He has Brie."

Elijah corrects him **"** Actually, she's with Rebekah. As you can imagine, my sister is just dying to tear her throat out. So, if you want to save Brianna's life, I need you to help me stop my mother"

 **"** I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but when it comes to killing thousand-year-old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty" Damon said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

 **"** Yes, unfortunately, even when killed my mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side"

Stefan shrugs not knowing what they could do to stop Esther so he could get Brie back "So, what are we supposed to do?"

 **"** The witches that released my mother, she's drawing her power from their bloodline, that line needs to be broken"

 **"** Broken?" Stefan questioned.

 **"** Yeah, he means" Damon makes a cutting motion with his forefinger over his neck.

"You want us to kill them."

 **"** You know I'd do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea where they are. Besides, seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent. They won't expect to be harm by the likes of you. In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them"

"Oh, how super specific of you" Damon said sarcastically.

 **"** By 9:07, the moon will be full, my mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Brianna. So we all have our timeline? I suggest you get started" Elijah starts walking towards the exit, leaving the Salvatore's to come up with a plan to stop Ester.

Inside the Grill, Kol is watching Meredith play pool. He walks up to her. "A woman of your caliber ought to choose more suitable company. What's your name, love?"

Meredith gets into place and secures the pool stick in position **"** None of your business"

Kol leans down next to her on the pool table and whispers in her ear so only Kol and Meredith could hear **"** Let's try that again. I'll start. I'm Kol"

 **"** Why don't you get lost, Kol?"

 **"** And why would I do that? I like pretty little things with sharp tongues" Kol walks towards Meredith and touches her face. She slaps his hand.

Alaric walks up from behind. **"** I'm pretty sure she told you to get lost"

 **"** I'm pretty sure I don't care" Kol turns around and faces Alaric. Alaric stabs him with the silver dagger.

 **"** Next time, take a hint" Alaric says as Kol's lifeless body falls onto him and drags his body out of the Grill and drags Kol into an alleyway. Stefan and Damon are waiting for him. "Here, grab him!"

 **"** Tell your sexy doctor "Good work"!" Klaus rushes over, undaggers Kol and knocks Alaric against the wall. Stefan tries to attack Klaus but Klaus knocks him out too. Rebekah revives in the woods.

 **"** I should have killed you months ago" Klaus said pinning Damon against the wall by the neck.

 **"** Do it. It's not going to stop Esther from killing you"

Klaus lets him go and steps back "What did you say about my mother?"

 **"** You didn't know I was friends with your mummy? Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do" Klaus is about to attack Damon when Elijah appears at the top of the stairs.

 **"** Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus"

"What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?" Elijah walks down the stairs towards Damon, holding a phone.

 **"** You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Brianna right now" Damon looks up at the clock tower and sees that it's 8:30.

 **"** You told me we had until after nine"

 **"** I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early"

Rebekah gets up from the floor and sees Brianna is missing. Brie is running throughout the tunnels, trying to escape. "You can't hide, Brianna!" Brie trips and falls. "Not sure why I'm feeling under the weather. Must be your boys trying to find a loophole. Won't matter, I could chase you down on my worst day." Brie gets up and gets to the entrance of the cave with the Native American drawings. Rebekah grabs her from behind. "Boo! Brie headbutts her and jumps into the cave. "You little bitch!" Rebekah tries to enter the cave but can't" "What is this?"

 **"** Sorry. No vampires allowed" Brie gloated as she watched the trapped blonde original try to get out the cave.

Brie turns on a flashlight and searches for an exit. Rebekah appears before her. "Brie! Let's pick it up where we left off" Rebekah is holding a canister filled with gasoline. She throws some on Brie.

 **"** What are you doing?" Rebekah pours more gasoline around the rest of the cave.

 **"** Thought I'd shake things up a bit" Rebekah said while still throwing gasoline around the cave.

 **"** Are you insane?" Was she actually a homicidal maniac.

 **"** I prefer spontaneous. It's probably why Damon likes me so much" Rebekah throws the canister at Brie. Brie ducks in time and the canister hits the back wall instead. Rebekah pulls out a match. "Here's what's gonna happen" She lights the match and throws it into the cave, starting the fire. "You're gonna come outside" She lights another match and throws it into the cave, starting another fire. "Or you're going to stay in there and burn." The fire burns itself out. "The next match is landing on you. So, Brianna, how does it feel to know that these may be your last moments?" Rebekah is recording Brie with a phone.

"I don't know, you tell me. You're the one whose mother's trying to kill you"

 **"** You should be very careful what you say to me"

"She's not doing this because she hates you, Rebekah. She told Elena that she just doesn't have another choice."

 **"** Spare me your pity, Brie. We're not girlfriends. Want me to prove it? Just say the word" She lights another match.

Brie thinks the blonde original is bluffing, she crosses her arms "You're not gonna do it"

Rebekah wanted her to enlighten her "And why is that?"

 **"** Because there's still a chance that you might be alive tomorrow. And if that's the case and you kill me now, you'll have used up all of your revenge. Wasted it and isn't that what you want? Revenge? That's why you're tormenting me, because I hurt your feelings"

The match burns out, Rebekah drops it. "The tough act doesn't suit you"

 **"** I never said I was tough. But we both know that I'm right."

Abby and Bonnie are walking through the house as the confrontation with the Mikealson sibling and their mother is continuing. Bonnie walks down into the basement, but Abby doesn't follow. In the basement, Bonnie notices and shouts back. "Abby!" Stefan appears in front of her. "Stefan? What's going on?"

"They took Brie. They're going to kill her unless we stop Esther"

 **"** Stefan, I- I can't stop her. She's channeling us!"

 **"** Bonnie, if you can't stop her. I have to find another way" They look at each other for a while. Bonnie starts to feel afraid.

 **"** No, Stefan, no" Bonnie tries to escape but Stefan rushes over and blocks her way. **"** What are you gonna do? Even if you kill us, Esther is channeling every witch in our ancestry, living and dead."

 **"** Esther's drawing from the witches. The only way to cut her off is if one of you is no longer a witch" Upstairs, Damon grabs Abby, bites his wrist and feeds her his blood.

 **"** This will only hurt a second"

Outside, Esther can sense something. "Sisters! Do not abandon me!" The pentagram torches flare up. Finn grabs Esther. The other brothers cower from the flames. After a moment, the torches die out. Elijah, Klaus, and Kol stand around in shock. Finn and Esther are gone. Abby is lying on top of the bed. Bonnie is sitting on the bed, holding her hand and crying. Caroline is at the front door, talking to Brie.

"She doesn't want to see you. Abby's in transition, it's going to be really hard over the next few days and if Bonnie needs some time to deal then I think you should give it to her"

 **"** She's always been there for me, Caroline. Please. Let me just be there for her too"

Caroline shook her head "I'm sorry, Brie. I know that you want to help, but put yourself in her shoes. Everything that happened tonight was to save you and that's okay because she loves you. So much. But somehow she's always the one who gets hurt" Brie nods understandingly. Tears are in her eyes.

"You know, you're right. I just tell her that I love her, okay? Caroline nods her head as Brie walks into her room and picks up a letter on her bed from Elijah.

She opens it and reads. "Brianna today I did things I abhor to protect the one thing I value most. My family. If anyone can understand that, it's you. Your compassion is a gift, Brianna. Carry it with you. As I will carry my regret. Always and forever. Elijah."


	11. Aftermath

Matt and Brie are jogging together through a neighborhood. **"** What are we running, a marathon?"

 **"** If you can't keep up"

 **"** Brie, you can't outrun your problems. Matt breaks to a walk while Brie continues running. "Though it looks like you're gonna try. I talked to Bonnie!"

Brie stops running and turns to face Matt. "What did she say?"

Matt continues to walk up to her and as he catches up to her, he stops **"** They're at her mom's house. Abby is going to complete the transition"

Brie raised her eyebrow as she was confused as she thought Abby didn't want to become a vampire **"** She decided to become a vampire?"

Matt nods as he catches his breathe **"** Yeah. Caroline's going to help her through it. Teach her to control it and stuff"

 **"** Did Bonnie say" Brie stopped herself and thought to herself "is there anything I can do?"

 **"** She knows it's not your fault, Brie, she's just upset"

 **"** Damon turned her mom into a vampire to save my life. It's absolutely my fault." Brie says before turning around and was ready to take off again.

 **"** You're gonna make me run more, aren't you?" Matt asks as Brie's phone rings. "Who is it?"

Brie answers her phone, it was Elena who calling, "Elena is everything okay?" Brie begins to listen as Elena tells her what the problem is "He what? Okay I'll meet you there" Brie ends the call and turns to Matt "We got to go"

Elena was standing outside the hospital waiting for Brie to arrive. When Brie walks up to her they both enter the station and see's Damon who walks up to them both.

"Were you just..?" Elena said before getting interrupted by Damon who felt the need to finish everyone's sentences.

"Ric's fine. Sheriff wants me to stay out of it"

Brie didn't believe him and raised her eyebrow and questioned him "But you're not going to. Are you?"

Damon turns his attention towards Brie and gives her a shrug "Seems just as good a plan as any"

"Your friend's in hospital. You have to do something" Elena said basically begging for Damon's help.

 **"** Well, I guess I could rip out Dr. False Accusation's throat, maybe her tongue. You know, I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels" He mimes chewing like a squirrel.

"Stop it, Damon!" Brie shouted as she was getting a little tired of the elder Salvatore's childish jokes.

 **"** Guess me staying out of it suddenly sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? I saved your life last night. You're welcome"

Elena sides with Brie "You know, you could show a little compassion about Bonnie"

 **"** I know, you're right, her and her mom must be really hurting right now. Should I send lasagna?"

 **"** Okay, now you're just being mean" Elena turns around and walks away as she's had enough of Damon.

Damon shouts so Elena could hear him down the corridor "I'm mean, you hate me. The Earth is back on its axis" Damon turns to look at Brie who gives him a dirty look "What?"

 **"** You know if you keep pushing people away, you're gonna end up alone." Brie walks off as she follows Elena down the corridor. Bonnie comes out of Abby's house and sees Caroline walking up with an ice chest.

 **"** Hey, I totally lucked out. The hospital just had a blood drive, so I got some O negatives, some A's, and my personal favorite" Caroline pulls out a blood bag. "B positive"

Bonnie and Caroline are watching Abby who is in her garden standing next to an empty bird bath.

 **"** I made her a daylight ring, she's been standing out there all morning. I don't think she's taking this very well"

 **"** Well, it's only been a few days since she turned. Your mom is still adjusting.

Caroline and Bonnie walk over to Abby. "Ms. Wilson, why don't you come inside? Have something to drink?"

 **"** I can't feel it any more. My garden, it's gone. I can't feel anything" Abby walks towards the house.

"I don't understand"

 **"** Witches have a connection to the Earth. We can literally feel nature, life" Bonnie cups her hands on both sides of a dead plant. She recites a spell and suddenly the plant starts to bloom into a beautiful flower. "When Abby became a vampire, she lost it. I don't know how to help her"

At Mystic Falls Hospital, Alaric is lying down on an MRI couch, about to go into the MRI scanner. Elena, Brie and Meredith are in the control room, preparing to scan Alaric.

 **"** What are you looking for?" Elena said looking at the scan but wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking at.

Meredith shook her head **"** I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it"

Brie listens in and crosses her arms "And if it's not?"

 **"** Well, then we'll deal with that too" A technician slides Alaric inside the machine. Alaric stares at his reflection in the mirror placed above him.

Brie wondered how Meredith knew that Alaric was attacking these people **"** When did you suspect him? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?"

 **"** It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies"

"But then, why did you protect him?"

 **"** Because I'm a doctor, I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over and because when he and I first met I felt like...I don't know, I just kind of want to help him" Alaric continues to stare at his reflection in the mirror in the MRI machine. His reflection glares down at him, but Alaric is not making the same expression. Alaric starts to panic. Meredith talks to him over a speaker. "Everything alright in there?"

Alaric closes his eyes and opens them, he stares at his reflection again, its expression is the same as his. "Yeah, everything's okay"

After the scan, Alaric is in a regular hospital room getting ready to leave. Elena comes in. "Meredith says that everything is normal"

 **"** Yeah, well, everything is normal, because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach" Alaric looks down at the ring, which is the only thing he hasn't picked back up. "Or I did and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor who wore that ring"

Brie walks into the room as Elena turns around to look at her "Brie call Bonnie, the rings were made by a Bennett witch so maybe a witch can reverse the damage" Brie nods and leaves the room to call Bonnie for help.

Alaric pushes the ring towards Elena. "Take it. I don't want it any more" Elena takes the ring and looks at Alaric as Damon enters the room.

 **"** You ready to ditch this House of Horrors?" Damon asks as he looks around the room and sets his sights on Alaric "Oof, you look terrible"

Alaric slowly struggle to get out of the hospital bed but eventually gets up "Yeah, let me...let me check outta here" Alaric leaves the room. Elena gives Damon a hateful look and leaves too. Brie was standing out in the corridor trying to call Bonnie who wasn't picking up any of her calls so decides to give up and tries calling Caroline since she knew Caroline was with Bonnie and Abby. Caroline's phone starts to ring and Caroline walks away and answers her phone. "Hey, what's going on?"

 **"** Hey been trying to reach Bonnie but she's not returning any of my calls"

 **"** Sorry, she's still mad and seriously Abby's transition has been a little rough, so she's got a lot on her mind"

 **"** I know and I get it but, something really terrible has happened to Ric and Elena really needs her help"

"Okay, let me get back to you, Bonnie is a little busy with Abby on her hands the now"

At Alaric's House, Alaric pushes a pad of paper with writing on it towards Elena. "Listen, I want you to have this. This is a list of my bank accounts, passwords, where to find my will, and how to contact my family, just in case this doesn't go my way"

Elena pushes the pad back towards Alaric. "No, don't even think like that."

 **"** Elena, I need to know that you and Jeremy are gonna be okay"

Elena nods to ensure Alaric "We're all gonna be fine"

Brie's phone rings, she answers it. "Caroline?"

 **"** So, Abby thinks Bonnie can reverse the damage of the spell. I guess this same thing happens to witches who get obsessed with dark magic. They lose control and start acting out their darkest impulses"

Brie gets up and walks away from the table. "Thank you so much."

 **"** I'm gonna hang back here with Abby, but Bonnie's leaving now, so..." Bonnie walks up to Caroline and silently asks to talk to Brie on the phone. "Hold on"

Caroline hands Bonnie her phone and goes to help Abby pack up some herbs. Bonnie takes a deep breath and starts to talk to Brie. "I need a personal effect of Alaric's, something he wore before he started wearing the ring"

 **"** Okay, yeah, I'll get it. Bonnie, I'm so sorry for everything, thank you for doing this"

 **"** Be ready to do the spell as soon as I get there. We must work fast. I'll see you soon" Bonnie hangs up very quickly.

"Good news? Bad news?" Alaric asks as Brie turns around and walks back over to the table.

 **"** Bonnie thinks that she can help you with a spell but she needs something that you wore before you put on the ring, something personal"

"I've got my wedding ring but it's in my loft somewhere" Alaric says as he tries to get out his seat but Brie stops him.

"I'll go find it" Brie says as she goes upstairs leaving Elena and Alaric in the Livingroom.

As Brie was up in the attic. Downstairs Alaric is asleep on the couch as Elena is in the kitchen. She comes out to check on him as she kneels beside him.

 **"** You still with me?"

Alaric wakes up. "Yeah. I'm still with you"

 **"** Don't worry, I've got coffee on" Elena says as she gets up and goes back into the kitchen. Alaric gets up and goes into the next room, he looks through Meredith's bag that she left behind and grabs the tranquilizers in it. He takes off the caps and pours the liquid onto the floor and does the same thing with the second tranquilizer. Brie walks up the stairs to Alaric's loft.

She gets to the top and is startled by Stefan who is leaning against the doorframe.

"Alaric told me you'd be here" Brie walks over to Alaric's door and unlocks it and enters the loft with Stefan following behind her. Brie is looking for Alaric's wedding ring in a chest of drawers. **"** What if Bonnie's spell doesn't work?"

"Then we will keep looking until we find something that'll help him"

 **"** But we don't know how long this has been going on, might be too late" Stefan and Brie look at each other. Stefan then opens the last drawer, which revealed inside are photos of the dead bodies of Bill Forbes and Brian Walters, newspaper clippings, and other stuff about the murders.

 **"** What is that?"

Stefan picks up one of the pictures. "Pictures of his victims"

Elena is in the kitchen she grabs two cups out of a cupboard as Alaric enters the room "Looking for something?"

She pours the coffee into the mugs. "I'm sorry, I can't remember, do you take cream?"

Alaric shakes his head **"** No cream, Can I ask you a question? Do you ever feel remorse?" Elena looks up and turns to face Alaric.

 **"** I'm sorry?" Alaric picks up a knife off the counter and walks around the counter, coming closer towards Elena. Alaric rushes towards her with the knife and cuts her on her side. She spills the coffee on him and breaks the mugs. She rushes into the front room and sees the tranquilizers are empty. She goes towards the stairs and Alaric cuts her off, grabbing her as she rushes up the stairs. Elena goes into the bathroom and locks two of the three doors. When she goes to shut the final door, Alaric appears and tries to force the door open. Elena keeps pushing the door back and grabs a pair of scissors which she stabs Alaric's hand with. Alaric screams and retracts his hand from the doorway allowing Elena to slam the door shut and lock it. She looks down at her wound and sees she's bleeding profusely. Brie and Stefan enter Elena's house, but Stefan grabs Brie's arm. He signals for her to stay and moves into the house. He goes into the kitchen and sees the shards of ceramic and blood on the floor. Brie closes the front door and Alaric comes downstairs, wrapping a towel around his hand and looking cheerful " **"** Hey there"

 **"** Hi. Where's Elena?" Brie asks and then looks at Alaric's hand. "What happened?"

 **"** Oh, I...I broke a coffee cup and sliced my hand open trying to pick up the pieces. Did Stefan catch up with you?"

 **"** No." Alaric takes another step down the stairs.

"Did you get my ring?"

Brie shook her head "I couldn't find it"

Alaric comes down the stairs. "Yeah, well my place is a bit of a disaster. I guess I'll just have to go get it." Alaric looks down at the bloodstained knife lying on the floor. Brie looks down at it too then back up at Alaric, who is staring at her. Alaric is about to go for the knife, when Stefan grabs him from behind and puts him in a sleeper hold.

 **"** Don't hurt him!" Brie shouts in concern.

 **"** I'm trying not to" Alaric passes out. Stefan lays him down on the floor. He seems to hear something and stands up. He looks up the stairs.

"Brie, I need you to come upstairs with me" Stefan and Brie walk up the stairs. Stefan breaks the bathroom door open. Brie is sitting on the floor with blood all over her. Brie flips on the light and rushes over to Elena.

 **"** Elena. Hey" Stefan's face starts to change and Brie looks at him. Suddenly, Stefan's face becomes normal again. He bites his wrist and gets down next to Elena to feed her his blood. "You're going to be okay" Stefan gets up and stumbles out of the bathroom. Brie stays with Elena.

The next morning in the kitchen, Brie is doing dishes when Bonnie enters. "Hey" Brie turns around and puts the dish cloth down on the bunker "You okay?"

Brie simply nodded and stood there awkwardly, as she hasn't seen Bonnie since Damon turned her mother into a vampire "Yeah, I'm fine"

 **"** Abby says that all the dying and coming back to life might have chipped away at Alaric's psyche, making it easier for the darkness to take hold" She holds up a glass container full of dry herbs. "These herbs are the binding element of the spell he needs to take them twice a day" Brie goes over and picks up the container. "I'll get you more, Abby and I are gonna work on the garden"

 **"** How is she doing?"

 **"** The transition's been hard, but I think she'll be okay. Eventually, I'm gonna go back and stay with her for a while it'll give us a chance to work things through"

Brie puts down the container and starts to tear up. "I'm sorry, Bonnie, I didn't want this to happen, if there was anything that I could do to make it different, I… "Bonnie embraces Brie.

"I know" Bonnie says and she hugs Brie tighter.

 **"** Please say that you forgive me" Brie says sobbing into Bonnie's shoulder.

Bonnie smiles and nods "Of course I do"


	12. The Murder Of One

It's morning and in Alaric's apartment, Brie walks up the stairs carrying breakfast for Alaric. She knocks on his door and Damon answers it

 **"** Morning sunshine" Damon smiles as he leans against the doorframe.

"Hey, how's Alaric?" Brie moves to enter the apartment, but Damon closes the door slightly to block her way.

 **"** Indecent, but fine"

 **"** So then, does that mean there were no issues last night?"

 **"** Nope. Slept like a baby, woke up Alaric. No head minds about dead Council members"

"Then why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" Brie questions as she raises her eyebrows at Damon.

 **"** Well, maybe because you're being all paranoid and control freaky" Damon looks down at the bag "What'd you bring me?" Damon asks as he takes the bag from her and sniffs it. "Ooo, chocolate muffins. You know what they say; a way to a psycho killer's heart is through his stomach"

Brie takes the bag back from him. "They're not for you"

Damon puts his hands up "Fine, keep convincing yourself you're still mad at me but sadly, Ric's going to have to miss Brie time today. You know lockdown and all"

 **"** Just take it and give it to him and tell him that Elena forgives him for what he did last night, she knows it's not his fault, okay?" Brie hands Damon the bag of muffins.

Damon starts to shut the door on her. "Have a great day, thanks for coming by"

 **"** Dam..." Damon closes the door and walks over to Ric and Stefan who are standing by a miter saw with the Wickery Bridge sign. He listens to Brie leaving. Brie leaves Ric's apartment and meets up with Caroline who wanted to talk. Caroline and Brie are walking through the woods.

"Alaric Saltzman killed my father?" Caroline asked in disbelief as she couldn't get her head around Ric's actions.

 **"** I can't expect you to be okay with this but at least these herbs that Bonnie's giving him, they're healing him and they're keeping the dark side buried."

 **"** Yeah, and that's supposed to make everything okay? Brie grabs Caroline's arm and Caroline faces her. Caroline is teary eyed.

 **"** No, Caroline, it's not okay. It's horrible and I feel horrible about it, but he's a victim of something supernatural, he didn't ask for this, it just happened to him. Just like Bonnie's mom, I mean, she didn't ask to become a vampire and neither did Stefan or Tyler."

 **"** Or me" Caroline said as she pointed out that she didn't become a vampire by choice.

Brie nodded "Or you none of you asked for this, but who would I be if I just turned my back on any of you? "

Caroline moves to Brie's side and wraps her arm around her shoulders. They start to walk off. "Oh, Brianna Colace, savior of the cursed and the damned"

Matt appears out of the trees and walks up to them "Hey, what's with the cryptic secret meeting text?"

 **"** I don't know. Stefan just said to meet here"

Stefan and Damon show up. "Where's Bonnie and Elena?"

Caroline and Brie turn around. "I texted them too"

Caroline and Brie exchanged looks "Um, Bonnie's mom bailed on her again. So, I think we should leave her out of this one and Elena is at home recovering from her brutal attack from Ric"

"What are we doing here?" Matt asked as he looked at Stefan then at Damon waiting for them to tell them why they wanted to meet in the woods.

 **"** We found some more white oak. Long story, wait for the movie"

Brie turned around to Damon "Hang on. White oak? You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?"

 **"** Nope we all have a weapon" Stefan throws down a duffel bag with white oak stakes in it. "Klaus has always been one step ahead of us, but now we have the advantage. We're all armed and they are all linked, meaning we only need to kill one of them. We need to seize the best opportunity, which means we need to prepare for every opportunity"

 **"** Scenario number one" Damon grabs Caroline and moves her over "You get to play Klaus"

Caroline scrunches up her nose "Okay"

 **"** Rebekah is our target so we distract her and catch her off guard. To do that we need to keep Klaus separate and occupied" Damon looks at Brie "Brianna"

Stefan looked at Damon as if that wasn't the plan they discussed, he didn't want Brie to be anywhere near Klaus as he knew what Klaus thought of Brianna "Damon that wasn't the plan"

Brie's eye widened, why was she the one who had to be involved with anything that includes Klaus "Why do I always have to be Klaus bait?"

"Because he's obsessed with you" Damon says ignoring his process, he didn't want Brie to be Klaus bait either but he knew Klaus took a liking to the brunette so if she was to keep the original busy, the faster he could be out the picture. Damon walks over to Brie. "But for right now we need you to play Rebekah. We use the quarterback to distract her. Just keep her talking"

 **"** How?" Matt asks as he didn't know how to distract the blonde original.

Damon shrugged his shoulders and thought of a few things to help Matt "Act interested, she's lonely, desperate"

Caroline snorted "Clearly. She slept with you" Brie looks down and suppresses a grin.

 **"** Hm. Beefcake holds bombshell. I come up from behind her" Damon gets behind Caroline, grabs her arms, and put them behind her back. "Grab her arms like this"

 **"** Ow!" Caroline yelled as Damon pulled her arms back with force Stefan comes up with the stake in his hand, imitating stabbing Caroline.

"Gives me time for one shot" Damon lets go of Caroline. "Got it? Good. So we all have one stake, we keep it hidden and we look out for any opportunity we have"

 **"** No last-minute attacks of pity for any of them" Damon looks at Brie.

Brie notices that Damon was on about her "Don't worry about me, not after what happened to Bonnie's mom"

Damon looks at Brie then turns his attention to Caroline **"** Barbie?"

 **"** Oh, I'm ready anything that will free Tyler from his sire bond to Klaus"

Damon turns his attention to Matt "Busboy?"

"Do I have a choice?"

 **"** Good point"

 **"** We have 12 stakes, 12 shots at killing one Original we can do this. Alright, let's try another scenario. Brie grab a crossbow" Stefan hands Brie the crossbow "Matt, you play Klaus" Brie aims the crossbow and Matt gulped as he knew how good Brie was with a crossbow.

After training in the Salvatore House, Damon places his white oak stake underneath a pile of firewood as Alaric walks into the room **"** I mean, did you learn nothing from the moonstone in the soap dish?"

 **"** Why? Where'd you put yours?" They hear a noise from downstairs. Damon gets up **"** What the hell was that?" Damon leaves the room and walks down the stairs. Suddenly, he sees Alaric get thrown down the stairs and falls to the floor. "Ric?" Damon looks up the stairs, turns around and is stabbed in the stomach with a knife by Rebekah.

 **"** Hello lover" Rebekah smirked.

In the Town Square, Brie is on her phone, leaving a message for Bonnie. "Bonnie, we're starting to worry about you. Call me back or call Caroline. Just call someone, please" Brie hangs up and walks up to Caroline and Matt. "Is it weird that Bonnie's not returning my calls?"

 **"** Is it weird that Klaus' brother is in the middle of town square?" Matt pointed out as they all look over and see Finn with Sage.

"That's Finn. I thought he left town" Caroline pushes back her hair and listens in on Sage and Finn's conversation. As Caroline listens in Brie decides to update Stefan. Stefan enters the house when phone rings and Brie is on the other end.

 **"** Hey"

 **"** Hey. Where are you?" Brie said on the other end as she kept a close eye on Sage and Finn.

 **"** I just got home. Why?" Stefan asked worried in case something happened.

 **"** Klaus' brother, Finn is in the town square and he's with some ex-girlfriend or something"

Stefan raised an eyebrow "Ex-girlfriend? Guy's been in a coffin for the last 900 years." He pauses as he thinks he knows who she's on about "Sage, it's got to be Sage"

"We have an opportunity. So how do we do this?" Brie asked Stefan as she wanted to know what he wanted her to do.

Stefan began to pace around the room "Listen to me, Brie, do not do anything, okay? Sage is very old and very strong. You don't stand a chance against her"

 **"** Then get Damon and get down here" Stefan sees Alaric on the staircase and that he is injured.

Stefan slowly moved the phone from his ear but Brie could still hear what was said "What the hell happened to you?"

Brie heard Stefan worry "Stefan?"

 **"** Rebekah happened"

Stefan raises the phone to his ear "I think we have a problem" Brie and Elena walks up to Stefan who is standing outside looking at his phone. "Hey. How is he?"

Stefan put his phone in his back pocket "Hey, he's just banged up, Caroline's gonna stay with him and make sure Alaric stays Alaric. Matt texted me and said Finn is still in the Grill. We need to plan our next move."

 **"** Wait, Rebekah has Damon; our next move should be finding him" Brie said as she didn't know why Stefan didn't want to save Damon, yeah she had to admit he was a dick but he was still Stefan's brother.

Stefan shakes his head "No, we need to stay on point. See an Original, kill an Original. That's the plan"

Elena shakes her head, as she couldn't believe what was coming out of Stefan's mouth **"** Yeah, that was the plan before Damon's life was hanging in the balance"

 **"** Look, Elena, I understand that you're concerned about my brother's life, but if he even knew, for one second, that we were talking about missing a chance to kill these people he would lose his mind"

 **"** Yeah, and if the roles were reversed he would stop everything to save you" Elena said as Brie looked in between the two like it was a tennis match.

 **"** I know what my brother would want"

 **"** What he would want and what we should do are two different things"

 **"** You gonna help me with this or not? Elena stares at Stefan, scornfully. "Okay, I'll figure it out myself" Stefan leaves.

Elena turns around to Brie "We need to help Damon"

Brie nods "I know, you go find Damon and I'll help Stefan, he'll need some back up" Brie said as she walked off finding Stefan as Elena made her way to the originals mansion. Damon is weak and still in the trap. He hears someone approaching him. He sees a person enter the room as they get closer, he sees it's Brie.

 **"** What are you doing here? Rebekah will kill you"

 **"** Then hurry up and - and tell me what to do" Damon looks up at his wrists, trapped in the bear traps.

 **"** Open them, carefully" Brie opens one of the traps and grabs Damon, holding him up while she opens up the second one. Damon is too weak to move on his own, so Brie has to hold him up. They walk out of the room and down the hall. Damon starts to fall over and Brie urges him on.

 **"** Damon. Come on, come on, we have to keep going. Damon" They make it to the parlor and Damon collapses on the floor, Brie falls down next to him. "No. Look at me, look at me" she grabs his face in her hands.

 **"** Don't be an idiot, Brie"

 **"** I am not going to leave you. Damon? No." Brie holds her wrist to his mouth "Hey, hey. Drink. Damon bites her wrist and starts to feed. After a while he stops and looks at Brie. He moves in toward her and their foreheads touch. The whole thing was just a daydream. Damon is still stuck in the trap. He hears footsteps approaching.

"Uh, you bitch"

 **"** It's not fun when someone messes with your thoughts, is it?"

Damon smirked faintly "Actually, I was having a pretty good time in there"

 **"** Mmm, well I hope you were nicer to Brianna than you were to me"

 **"** Oh, come on, I couldn't have hurt you that bad. You didn't really think I had a thing for you, did you?" Rebekah looks hurt." I get it. If Klaus bossed me around for a thousand years, I'd probably be pretty desperate for attention too" Rebekah stabs Damon in the stomach and he screams. Finn and Sage are sitting at a table together in the Mystic Falls Grill.

"How many people have you turned?" Finn asked taking a sip of his tequila.

Sage shrugged her shoulders, she didn't know the exact number she lost count over the years "I don't know, a lot don't judge me, Finn, you turned me"

 **"** Exactly Sage, I turned you. My passion overtook my morals"

 **"** My passions overtake my morals on a daily basis. It's called living life to the fullest" Stefan and Brie were at the bar looking over at the couple. Stefan pushes a tiny bottle of vervain to his side, which Matt grabs along with a coffee cup. The waitress places two tequila shots on Finn and Sage's table. Stefan and Brie gets up from the bar and leaves.

 **"** Oh, thanks" Sage raises her shot glass. "To living life to the fullest"

Finn raises his shot glass and clinks it against hers. "To living life"

Sage laughs and they drink their shots. Suddenly, they spit them back up and start choking **"** Oh, what the hell?"

Finn smells the glass "Vervain" Finn turns his head and he and Sage see Stefan leaving. Stefan stops and stares at them, then walks out the door. Sage and Finn get up and go after him. Outside the Grill, Stefan hides around the corner. Finn and Sage exit the Grill. Stefan goes to stab Finn, but Sage grabs him and throws him down on the ground. The stake falls down the stairs.

 **"** Finn, the stake!" Sage shouts as Finn runs down the stairs to grab the stake.

Finn is about to grab the stake, when Brie and Matt burst out a back door. Brie shoots Finn in the stomach with the crossbow and Matt comes in and stabs him with another stake, directly in the heart.

 **"** No!" Sage rushes down the stairs to Finn's side. Matt and Brie go back in the building and close the door. Sage cries as she watches Finn die and strokes his face. Stefan looks down from the top of the stairs and then leaves. "Finn, no" Finn's body catches fire and Sage backs up to the wall and continues to sob. After they leave Sage sobbing over her loved one, Stefan and Brie enter the library where Caroline was sat reading a magazine "Hey. How's Alaric?"

Caroline got out her seat and sat the magazine down on the chair "He'll be okay. I gave him a bottle of Bonnie's herbs and he went home. Oh, did you guys kill Finn, did it work?"

Stefan shakes his head "Nothing worked until I see Klaus's dead body myself."

Brie's phone rings. She answers it. It's Bonnie "Bonnie. Where have you been?"

 **"** Klaus has Damon"

Brie looked confused as she thought by killing Finn, Klaus would die with him **"** Klaus should be dead. They should all be dead, we just killed Finn"

 **"** No, Brie, he forced me to do a spell that unlinked all the siblings, he's still alive"

 **"** It's bad, Elena, he threatened Jeremy. And my mom" Bonnie starts to choke up.

Brie could hear some sobs on the other end of the line "Bonnie are you okay?"

 **"** I don't know. I'm sorry, I have to go, I just I have to go" She hangs up.

 **"** No, Bonnie just..." Brie starts as Bonnie ends the call and slides down the side of her car outside the mansion and starts to cry. Stefan overhears the conversation and storms out as Stefan is leaving for Klaus and Brie follows him.

Stefan could feel Brie following him out the door but stops in his tracks and turns around "Stay with Caroline. I'll call you when it's over"

 **"** Stefan, stop. Klaus is stronger than you, we need another plan"

 **"** What we need is for Klaus to be dead" Stefan gets frustarted as he turns around to storm out the door.

Brie grabs Stefan and turns him around. **"** Stefan, stop it! You're acting on anger!"

Stefan gets in Brie's face which makes her step back in shock **"** Anger gets things done, Brie!"

Brie thought Stefan was insane did she really think he was that stupid **"** Or it'll get you killed! It'll get Damon killed along with you"

 **"** Klaus does not get to survive this. Not after everything he took from me" Stefan walks out and slams the door. Brie flinches as Caroline enters the front hall.

 **"** I miss well-adjusted Stefan" Suddenly, the door flies open and Stefan is thrown through it. Sage enters the house.

"Ding dong" Caroline goes to attack her, but Sage throws her to the ground. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for him"

Brie runs to the front door, but Troy blocks her path. "I don't think so"

Sage approaches Stefan. "I had to kill him, Sage"

 **"** Oh, you remember me" She kicks Stefan and he flies into a chair. "Good. Then you know I like to go all ten rounds" She starts to cough and her nose starts to bleed. Stefan looks up at her. Stefan gets to his feet. Sage throws a punch at Stefan, but Stefan grabs her fist and throws her to the ground. She starts coughing up blood.

 **"** Troy, help me!" Troy releases Brie and rushes over to Sage. He bends over and coughs up blood as well. "What is happening to me?" Sage said before her and Troy's lifeless body hit the ground.

Brie widened her eyes and moved closer to the bodies "She just died!"

 **"** So, Sage and this Troy guy die within an hour of Finn"

Brie looked at Caroline and questioned **"** But why? Were they bitten by a hybrid or..?"

Caroline shook her head "Hybrid bites don't look like that. Maybe Sage was so in love with Finn she just died of sadness"

"No, that doesn't explain Troy"

"It's the blood. The bloodline, it has to be, think about it: Finn turned Sage, Sage turned Troy, they're all part of the same vampire bloodline that originated with Finn"

Caroline catches on **"** Wait, so when an Original dies every vampire turned from their bloodline dies along with them? Because that would mean..."

 **"** If the Originals die, so do all of you. The entire vampire species would...it'd just be dead"


	13. Heart Of Darkness

Caroline comes in from outside. Brie is sitting on the floor in the parlor, placing stuff back on the end table that was knocked off during the fight. "Vampire disposal. Not my strong suit. Uck. Where'd Stefan go?"

"Trading the stakes for Damon"

Caroline sits down "All of them?"

Brie shakes her head "No, not all of them. We still have uh- enough to kill three out of the four of them. If we can figure out who to save"

 **"** How are we supposed to do that?" Caroline asks looking at Brie for answers.

Brie shrugs her shoulder "I have no idea, you were turned with Damon's blood, and Damon and Stefan were turned by Katherine, and we know that Katherine was turned by a vampire named Rose but we don't know who turned her ut it can only link back to one Original and if the odds are in our favor, hopefully it won't be Klaus. So that we can still kill him"

Caroline suddenly looks worried. "Brie Caroline gets up. "Even if Klaus didn't create our bloodline, we know for a fact that he turned one of us"

Brie thought for a second who Caroline was talking about and her eyes widened "Oh my God. Tyler. If we kill Klaus, then Tyler will die"

After returning from the handing the stakes over, Stefan is in his room, twirling one of the stakes around in his hand as Brie walks into the room.

"Hey, you haven't said much since you got back home"

 **"** I'll be a ball of sunshine once Damon gets Alaric's stake back. Promise"

Brie nods slowly and sighs "You really scared me today, you wouldn't have survived if you went up against Klaus on your own, you know that, right?"

Stefan could see in her face that she was worried about him so he tried to put her mind at ease "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore"

Brie raised her eyebrow "Why?"

 **"** Cause he's not worth it, all this time and energy that I've wasted hating him, it was for nothing. It's done, it's over. We lost, I'm right back where I started"

Brie shook her head she thought Stefan was wrong "That's not true. Yeah, Klaus dragged you through hell, but you came out the other side. You beat him by being better than him"

 **"** And what did I lose in the process?" Stefan gets up and walks towards Elena. "Look, hating Klaus was easy. It allowed me to ignore everything that was happening around me. Everything I let slip away. Now I have to deal with that."

Brie knew what Stefan was getting at and sighed "Stefan"

 **"** No, just admit it, admit it to me, Brie. I know you don't owe it to me, but I just need to hear you say it"

"I can't, because it's not true, Stefan. I never stopped loving you"

Stefan got up and stood in front of Brie and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear "I know that. I know you didn't, even though I did everything possible to push you away. It's my fault. It's all my fault. I mean, this is all my fault"

Brie shook her head "What are you talking about?"

 **"** I'm talking about the fact that you're also in love with Damon"

 **"** What? No, Stefan, I..." Stefan caresses Elena's face and moves closer towards her. "Hey. I love you. I will always love you. I just want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel something for him."

"I don't Stefan, I love you, Damon doesn't mean a thing to me it was only a kiss. It didn't mean anything" Brie's eyes widened as she couldn't believe that the kiss she shared with Damon slipped out of her mouth. She loved Stefan but she didn't want any secrets between them.

Stefan drops his hand from Elena's face and looks at her. "You kissed Damon?"

Brie looked down and sighed "He kissed me" Brie saw the look of disappointment in Stefan's eyes "It was right back at the start, after I moved here"

Stefan looked up "That was 10 months ago Brianna! You kept it from me for that long!"

Brie saw the look of anger on Stefan's face "Stefan, please I just didn't want you to get hurt"

Stefan scoffs "Are you serious? And you don't think I am hurt now?"

"Of course I do Stefan, it hurts me so much keeping it from you I didn't want myself coming in between you like Katherine did" Without saying a word, he grabs the stake and leaves the room. Brie walks down the stairs into the basement with a bag. She approaches the door to one of the cells and peers through the barred door window.

"Alaric?"

 **"** Yep, still me" Brie unlocks the door and enters the cell. Alaric is sitting on a cot in the room. "You know, you shouldn't be in here. It defeats the point of the whole being locked in a cellar thing"

Brie drops the bag on the ground "Well, you still need the basics. Toothbrush, clothes, some boring books to help you sleep, you don't have to be kept in here"

 **"** Nah this is...this is the right place for me to be, at least until you guys can convince my highly uncooperative alter ego to fess up to where I or he hid the white oak stake"

 **"** We looked everywhere. You, well the other you, hid it well"

 **"** What's Klaus gonna do if you can't find it?"

 **"** It's the only thing that will kill him, so wage war, murder people, you know Klaus stuff" Brie pulls up a chair and sits down in it. "Listen, Stefan is going to watch over you for a little while. Now that Klaus knows where Jeremy is, it's not safe so, Damon and I are going to go to Denver to pick him up" Upstairs, Stefan is standing in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames.

Damon is bringing luggage down for the trip. "You hear from Klaus?"

Stefan looks down and tries to keep in control of his anger "Not yet. I'm sure I will soon though" Stefan picks up the white oak stake. "He's expecting me to deliver two stakes, I only have one"

 **"** Well, that's gonna be disappointing for him"

"I'll get it out of Alaric. I just need some time"

 **"** I like that confidence, Stefan. I don't share it, but I like it you're in control. Sorry, you might get the girl but you lose the edge. Speaking of" Brie walks into the room.

 **"** Have you ever flown first class?"

 **"** Who did you have to compel for that?" Brie said sarcastically as she dragged her suitcase into the room.

 **"** Pft, please. I use miles" Damon picks up the luggage and walks out the door. Brie looks at Stefan.

 **"** Stefan..."

 **"** Be safe" Was all he said as he didn't make any eye contact with her. Brie stares at him for a moment, and then walks out the door.

Brie and Damon are at a batting cage in Denver looking for Jeremy. Brie spots him. "There he is" Jeremy swings at the ball and misses.

 **"** Next time we compel him, remind me to make him better at baseball" Damon jokes as Brie walks over to the cage.

Jeremy notices Brie and Damon walking towards them "Brie? What's wrong?"

Damon, Brie, and Jeremy are walking out of the batting cages. Damon explains what has happened over the past few months. "Katherine sired us, Rose sired Katherine, all we need to do is find out who sired Rose"

 **"** So, you traveled across the country to get me to talk to a dead vampire? Well I can't. I could talk to Anna and Vicki because I knew them. I've never even met Rose£

"What good is you dying and coming back to life if you can't talk to a ghost when I need you to?"

 **"** Rose spent a long time running from Klaus as well. She and Damon were close, so maybe we can use him as a connection"

 **"** Fine, but can we do this later? My friend just got here and yes, Damon, I actually have some. I'll call you when I'm done "Jeremy walks away. Brie turns around and sees Kol

 **"** Damon, it's Kol!" Kol hits Damon with a wooden baseball bat. The bat breaks in half and Damon falls to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Jeremy yells at his friend in shock that he attacked Damon for no reason

 **"** Jeremy, get back! He's an Original" Brie warned as Jeremy stood back and watched on.

 **"** No hard feelings, mate. But we're not buds" Kol grabs an aluminum bat from the bat rack. "You know, I'll never get use to aluminum. But hey, at least it won't break" Kol swings to hit Damon with the bat, but Damon grabs it and with his other hand picks up half of the broken wooden bat and stabs Kol through the chest with it. Kol falls to the ground.

 **"** Did you kill him?" Jeremy asked as he watched Damon get up to his feet.

Damon stood up and looked at Kol's body on the ground "No, but it'll give us a head start. Okay, come on" Damon grabs Brie, who is shocked, and they leave the batting cages. Brie, Jeremy, and Damon are getting their luggage out of the car and start walking to their motel room. "For the record, she's the one who wanted to stay in a motel, not me"

 **"** I can't believe Kol was a vampire"

 **"** Well, didn't you find it weird that you made a friend so fast? Have you met you?"

Brie glares at him as they walk up the stairs. "Not helping" They enter their motel room. "Well, this should work, right Jer?"

 **"** Alright Whoopi, what do you need?" Damon draws the curtains closed. "Candles? Incense? Pottery wheel?"

Jeremy looked at Damon as if to say 'is he serious?' "That's not how it works alright, you uh- you got a picture of her?"

 **"** Picture? What, a trip to Disneyland? Come on Rose, you're not gonna actually make us wait, are you? I know you're obsessed with me" Brie scoffs, rolls her eyes and sits down next to Jeremy.

 **"** All right, uh tell me something about her" Jeremy said as he sat on his bed.

Damon sits down on the end of one of the beds. "Um, well she does this little thing with her tongue"

Brie looked at him is disgust "Something that matters, Damon"

 **"** She spent her last day in paradise. Soaking in the sun and reminiscing about what it means to be human. And when death came, she didn't fear it"

"It was in the dream he gave her. She's here" Damon looks around. He can't see her, but Rose is sitting on the bed next to him."

Caroline is walking through the woods. She stops near the stairs going down into the old Lockwood cellar and looks around. She hears a noise. She smiles and turns around. Tyler is standing behind her.

 **"** Hi"

 **"** You have no idea how much I've missed you" Caroline smiles and they kiss. They make their way down the cellar, while still passionately kissing each other. Caroline pushes the cellar door open and takes her jacket off. Tyler takes his jacket off too and they continue to kiss. Tyler pushes Caroline against the wall and she takes his shirt off. They kiss again while Caroline smiles.

Damon is outside the motel room, his phone rings and he answers it. Stefan is on the other end. "There you are. Any sign of Evil-laric?"

 **"** Nope, only dead Alaric, don't worry, he was wearing his ring. Klaus was here, let's just say he's not very patient"

 **"** Kol must have told him we were in Denver. How long has Ric been out?"

 **"** A few hours. I'm hoping when he wakes up, it won't be him, it'll be the other him"

 **"** And if not?" Damon asks.

 **"** Yeah, I know. Whatever it takes. So, were you able to contact Rose?"

 **"** Yeah, no answers yet. So, we're just stuck in this motel until she gets back to us"

 **"** A motel?" Stefan questions as he suddenly regrets making Brie go with Damon to help find answers.

 **"** Yeah, we had to get away from Kol. I'll call you when I know more" Damon hangs up. Jeremy and Brie are in the motel room together. Jeremy is on his bed watching TV and Brie is going through the luggage.

Damon enters the room. "Everything okay in here?"

Brie stops and looks up at him "Yeah. It's fine" She says as she carries on finding a pair of pj's to wear.

 **"** Okay, well, I'm gonna freshen up. You might want to get some rest, I'm sure Rose will make herself known when she gets back"

Damon walks out of the bathroom, shirtless. He grabs a bottle of whiskey in the ice box and puts a shirt on. Brie is in bed, watching him. Damon pours himself a drink and sits down. He drains the glass of liquor and looks over at Brie. Brie quickly closes her eyes and tries to get to sleep. Damon continues to watch her and Brie opens her eyes again. They stare at each other for a while, until Damon gets up and walks over to the bed. He lies down next to her.

 **"** You never told me about that. What you did for Rose"

 **"** It wasn't about you"

 **"** Why don't you let people see the good in you?" Brie asks as she sits up on the bed.

 **"** Because when people see good, they expect good" He turns his head and looks at Brie "And I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations"

Brie turns on her back. She places her arm by her side; Damon gently grabs and caresses her hand. Brie breathes heavily, unsure of what she's feeling. She quickly gets out of the bed, grabs her coat and leaves the motel room. She puts on her coat and leans against the ice machine. Damon comes out after her "Don't"

 **"** Why not? Brie..." Damon asks Brie as she turns around.

"I have feelings for Stefan, you know that I love him but now me and him might not ever get together because of our stupid kiss!" Brie shouts as she felt so angry at Damon. He should of never of kissed her.

Jeremy comes out of the room and see's Damon and Brie look at each other but see's Jeremy standing looking awkward "Rose found Mary, she lives in Kansas"

 **"** Okay then. Let's go" Damon heads back into the room as Jeremy looks at Brie.

Damon, Brie, and Jeremy pull up to an old, abandoned-looking house and get out of the car.

 **"** This is the address" Jeremy says as he looks at the house.

"You should stay here" Brie says as Jeremy nods and goes back to the car. Damon and Brie enter the house. Brie turns on a torch. The room full of books on the floor and other junk. "Who is this Mary person?"

 **"** Scary Mary. She's really old, super creepy"

 **"** And how do you know her?" Brie asked as she wondered how Damon knew her.

 **"** I dated her" He said in a way that was stating the obvious.

 **"** Of course," Brie nodded as she didn't expect anything less from him.

 **"** What? I said creepy, not ugly" A loud noise comes from another room. Damon and Brie look at the door where the noise came from. Damon, followed by Brie goes into the room. Brie moves the torch light around the room and the beam lands on a vampire who has been staked to the wall. "Mary"

The lights come on in the dark room. Kol is sitting in a chair with a baseball bat. "Quite contrary"


	14. Do Not Go Gentle

"Shame about Mary. She used to be a blast. Don't quite know what happened. I fear all the time she spent with my family might have ruined her. She was a bit of an Original groupie"

 **"** And were you her favorite?" Brie asked hoping he would tell them if he was the one who turned her.

 **"** You mean, did I turn her? I think I did. But no, wait, maybe it was Rebekah. There was also a Klaus period and let's not forget the Elijah affair. I spoke to my brother, I know you're trying to find out who you descended from. Now you never will. So, where did we leave off?"

Kol hits Damon's leg with the baseball bat. Damon falls to the ground and Kol continues to hit him. "Brie, get out of here!"

Brie runs for the door, but Kol rushes over and blocks her way. "According to my brother, you're off limits, please don't test me"

Kol throws Brie to the ground. Damon gets up and rushes towards Kol. **"** Don't touch her" Kol throws Damon off of him."

 **"** Oh dear, I've hit a nerve. Relax, darling, I just want us to be even, you snapped my neck, you killed my brother, and then you humiliated me"

Kol hits Damon with the bat repeatedly. "There, now we're even"

When Kol leaves, Brie goes over to Damon who was still on the ground in pain. Brie has her hand on Damon's chest. "Are you okay?"

 **"** Yeah" Damon pops his arm back into place. "That's better" Damon caresses Brie's face and touches the cut on her forehead. Brie gasps. "Are you okay? You're bleeding"

 **"** Yeah. I'll be fine" She grabs his hand and takes if off her face. She releases his hand from her own and turns away.

Caroline is lying on Tyler's chest. They're both naked. There are lit candles in the cellar. "Did I mention I miss you? Bad"

Caroline giggles and kisses his chest. "Mm, at some point we are going to do this in an actual bed, right?"

Tyler laughs "Yes, I promise. Once I figure out how to deal with Klaus"

 **"** Tell him to suck it. You broke his sire bond, you won't have to deal with him anymore"

"It's easier said than done. Besides, I won't know if it's broken for sure until I test it"

Caroline sits up. "Wait, I thought you said that's why you were coming back, because you said you felt different"

 **"** I do feel different. I feel freer. Way more myself. All I know is I just turned about a hundred times in the Appalachian Mountains. If I can get through that, I can get through anything"

Caroline nods **"** Good. Because Klaus might not be our only problem"

 **"** Why?" Tyler sits up too. "What else did I miss?"

 **"** Matt killed an Original and then every vampire that Original had ever turned mysteriously died. Right now, Damon is desperate to figure out which Original created our vampire bloodline and if he finds out it wasn't Klaus, they're all going to kill him"

 **"** But Klaus turned me. So if he dies, I die"

 **"** I know that. They know that. The difference is Damon doesn't care"

In the Salvatore Cellar, Stefan hits Alaric again. Alaric gets up and looks at Stefan.

 **"** You're not putting enough into this"

 **"** If I put any more into it, I'm gonna break your spine"

Stefan hits Alaric again. Alaric falls to the floor, blood is coming out of his mouth and one of his tooth has fallen out. The veins under Stefan's eyes start to protrude and his eyes become bloodshot. He turns away. "Well don't back down now"

 **"** No, no, no, no, no, I can't...the blood"

Alaric gets up again. "Come on, you're past that"

 **"** No, I'm not"

 **"** Then use it! Give into it! Try and kill me, Stefan. Come on!"

Stefan shakes his head "Not like this, Alaric"

Alaric gets into his face "Yes! Like this. You're gonna have to want to kill me for me to believe that you will"

Stefan shakes his head "If I go this far, I may not be able to stop"

 **"** If you want the answers from my darkest side, you're gonna have to tap into yours. So, don't back down, don't fight it. Just do it. Do it!" Alaric grabs Stefan's shirt and shakes him. Stefan vamps out and throws Alaric against the brick wall. Alaric falls on the ground and laughs. "You're so weak" He gets up. "Look at you, one of nature's most hideous creatures and you can't even get that right"

"Where's the stake? Tell me where the stake is before I kill you"

 **"** You know you're all gonna burn. Ashes to dust"

Stefan hits Alaric repeatedly. "Where's the stake?!" Alaric doesn't answer. Stefan hits him again, then grabs him in a chokehold. "I'm gonna kill you in three...two...one"

"It's in the cave. Where no vampire can get it" Stefan throws Alaric onto the ground and leaves the cellar, locking the door behind him. He goes up the stairs while texting on his phone and into the parlor where Klaus and Rebekah wait for him.

 **"** That wasn't too hard, was it?" Klaus grins. Klaus is pouring himself a drink in the parlor. Rebekah brings Alaric up from the basement. "That's a little gratuitous, don't you think, Stefan? I would have been more gentle"

 **"** I'm going to take him to the caves. You're going to go inside and fetch me the stake and if you think you're going to hide, you're wrong" Rebekah pushes Alaric towards the door and leaves.

 **"** And then there was one. I know about your brother's little mission to Denver. He failed. Not that that's news anymore"

 **"** So, what are you gonna do now, Klaus? You gonna kill me?"

 **"** I haven't actually decided yet" Klaus sits down.

 **"** Aww, sure you have. See you've had every chance and every excuse imaginable to do it, but yet you haven't. Which means you don't want to"

 **"** You know something, you're right. You see, I'm still waiting for my old friend to come back. By the looks of it, he's just beneath the surface. Waiting to come out and play. Isn't that right, Ripper?"

 **"** I've been fighting that part of myself, thinking that if I repressed it then it would go away. But it won't and now that I've accepted it, it can't control me and neither can you. So, unless you're going to stake me, why don't you get the hell out of my house?" Stefan leaves the room.


	15. Alaric

Caroline and Brie are walking through the gym hall which is being decorated for the 20s Decade Dance. Caroline has a clipboard and is in charge of the preparations as Rebekah is missing.

"So Alaric is trying to pull himself together, why is that a bad thing?"

 **"** I just...I wish there was something I could do" Brie picks up a chandelier. "Where do you want me to hang this thing?"

 **"** You know what, if Rebekah wanted to hang this monstrosity she should have shown up to do it herself" Hands the chandelier to a passing by student. "Just no!" Caroline sees Matt and Jeremy hanging up stars in the ceiling. "What are you doing? You can't just hang them! They're supposed to trickle down"

 **"** Trickle, duh!" Matt joked.

 **"** Look at them all bromancy" Caroline looked at them in awe. **"** So who are you bringing to the dance?"

Brie wraps a feather boa around her neck. "I thought you, Bonnie, and I were going as girl dates"

 **"** Hm, Bonnie has a date. Jamie called and wanted to see her so she asked him, so here's a thought, why don't you ask Stefan?"

 **"** I can't ask him on a date, I just told him I kissed his brother" Brie said looking down, playing with her hands.

 **"** All the more reason! Look you're supposed to be figuring out what you want"

 **"** Yeah, and I want Stefan end off" Brie simply said

 **"** Stefan is your epic love and I'm not going down without a fight" Stefan is walking into the living room as Brie calls him from her bedroom at the Forbes Household.

 **"** Hey..."

 **"** Hey...do you, do you have a second?" She said hoping he would say yes.

 **"** Yeah, everything alright?" He asked as he waited for her to say what she wanted.

She began to panic as she didn't prepare for what she was about to say and was worried in case he would shut her off **"** Yeah, I just wanted to, uh...Caroline and I were talking about going to the dance and, um look, I know where we're at, you and I, and I know it would be stupid to even think that we could go back to the way things were, but I'm going to the dance and I'd like to go with you"

Stefan was happy on the inside that she had asked him and not Damon as he thought their weekend away she would of choose him "Um, I'd love that"

Brie smiled as she couldn't believe he wanted to go with her. Maybe this was going to be the beginning of them talking again and sorting things out **"** Okay, great. Bye.

They hang up. Damon walks in. "I'm thinking gardenia corsage. Wrist obviously, you don't want to accidentally stab her in the chest with the pin. Now, that could get messy"

 **"** Damon, I.." Damon walks out of the room.

Brie is adjusting her headband for her costume in a mirror. The doorbell rings. She opens the door. It's Stefan. He smiles at her. "Wow, you look very dapper"

Stefan smiles **"** You look very beautiful. Here, I got something for you." Stefan pins a white rose on Elena's dress. "So, given our dangerous dance karma, sure you're up for this?"

 **"** Getting out of bed is dangerous these days. But we have to live our lives."

Stefan raises his eyebrow "Hmm, who gave you that horrible advice?"

"Some guy I used to date said it once or twice" Brie shrugged and then it became silent after a while. "Shall we?"

The party is in full swing in the gym hall with lots of students dancing to the music, including Bonnie and Jamie. Caroline walks up to Matt who is restocking the drinks table with ice. Matt spots Tyler greeting people in the crowd.

 **"** What's he doing here?"

Caroline walks up to Tyler. "Are you crazy? If Klaus sees you...

"I can pretend I'm sired if I have to, so hang on, I'm about to sweep you off your feet" Tyler sweeps Caroline off her feet and spins her around. Brie and Stefan enter.

 **"** Teach me some moves"

 **"** Oh no, no, no, no. I blacked out for most of this decade, remember?" Stefan said trying to get out dancing.

Brie raised her eyebrow, she didn't believe him, she knew he didn't like to dance so she would make any excuse not to "Nice try!" Brie grabs Stefan's hand and drags him toward the dance floor. They start dancing and a romantic slow number comes on. They start slow dancing.

Stefan sees Bonnie slow dancing with Jamie. "Bonnie seems happy"

 **"** She's working on it" Brie says giving a small smile as she watches Bonnie dancing with Jamie who seems to be enjoying herself.

"I've been meaning to talk to her, apologize"

Brie nods her head "Yeah, you should, although I wouldn't expect her to forgive you or Damon Brie lets go of Stefan. "Listen, Stefan, about Damon...We should probably talk about the trip to Denver"

 **"** I don't need to know, Brie. When all this is over, if you and I find our way back to each other, you can tell me if you want to. Otherwise I don't need to know. I don't want to know" They start dancing again.

 **"** How can you be so fair about this?"

 **"** Because after everything I've put you through, I'm just honored to be your date tonight" Stefan dips Brie and does an under-arm turn. Damon shows up dressed normally. "We three need to talk" Damon, Brie and Stefan walk out of the hall. Jeremy sees them and follows them. Out in the hallway, Brie, Stefan, and Damon are talking.

"If Alaric is sick then we need to find a cure. Something"

 **"** We tried medicine, we tried magic" Damon said trying to think of other ways they could help Alaric.

 **"** Why don't we get him off vervain, compel him?"

 **"** What? To pretend to be Alaric? The guy that we know is gone. We're talking about someone who not only hates vampires, but vampire sympathizers. Which makes one of his most obvious targets: I don't know, you!" Indicating Brie.

 **"** What you think he'd go after Brie?" Stefan asked making sure he was hearing things because he is not gonna let Alaric lay a finger on Brie.

Brie looks confused and tried to catch up **"** So wait, what are you suggesting we do?"

 **"** I'm suggesting that we put him out of his misery" Damon says shrugging his shoulders.

Jeremy joins them, having overheard their conversation "No, no way in hell! You are out of your mind!"

Jeremy turns around and leaves. Brie follows him. Outside Brie is following Jeremy as he is walking out the high school.

 **"** This is Alaric we're talking about! He looked out for me and Elena, now we need to do the same for him"

 **"** No one is gonna hurt him" Brie said trying to reassure him. Jeremy turns around and starts to walk away. Brie grabs his arm and stops him.

 **"** Hey. Hey...Look at me. I promise"

"Brianna!" Brie turns around and Esther is standing before her. "If you wish to help your friend Alaric, I suggest you come with me"

 **"** Jeremy go inside and get Stefan and Damon, now!" Jeremy runs inside.

 **"** I mean you no harm. But willingly or not you will come" Brie follows Esther. A moment late, Damon, Stefan and Jeremy are hurrying out of the school. Suddenly Damon and Stefan stop, while Jeremy continues walking until he stops as they don't follow him. There is a line of salt going around the school.

"Salt. It's the binding agent for her spell"

 **"** We're trapped here"

Brie and Esther are walking towards the Salvatore tomb.

 **"** Please don't hurt Alaric"

 **"** She's not hurting me"

 **"** Ric!" Brie moves towards him, but stops when she senses something is different about him. "What's going on? What are you doing with him?"

 **"** I'm going to remake him. Make him strong, fast, like my children. Indestructible. For one final time I'm going to tap into the dark magic I used a thousand years ago. Like my husband Mikael before him I will make Alaric into a true hunter, a vampire to end all vampires."

"You can't create another Original. What if he turns out to be an even bigger monster than your children?"

 **"** He won't now that he has embraced his darkest aspect his hatred for them will become more pure and uncompromising. In death that hatred will be magnified"

Brie shook her head "You don't know that, you don't know anything about him"

 **"** That is where you're wrong. Each time he died with that ring during his brief journey into death I was there on The Other Side. I spoke to him, I nurtured him knowing that every death brought him closer to his true self, vampires took everything from him. Now he's getting his vengeance"

Outside, Klaus is talking on the phone as he walks away.

 **"** Rebekah, call me back immediately! I only came to this ridiculous dance because you begged me to and now you're nowhere to be found" Klaus sees the salt line and stops. "What is this?"

Stefan walks up behind him. "Your mother is back"

Esther is lighting candles inside the Salvatore tomb and preparing for a spell.

 **"** Ric, this isn't what you want. It's not who you are"

Alaric scoffs at Brie as she only really known him to be seem five minutes **"** You don't know who I am, Brie. You only know the weakest parts of me, the man who lost his way befriending vampires instead of killing them they're all monsters, the blood of their victims is on my hands"

Esther turned around to Alaric "When you are ready"

 **"** No Ric, please don't. Don't do this. I won't help you, I'm not going to give you my blood, you're going to have to kill me!"

 **"** That won't be necessary" Esther gestures towards Brie, a cut opens up in Brie's hand and starts to bleed. Esther grabs Brie's wrist and holds it above the bowl and the blood pours into it. "Drink. And let it be done"

 **"** No Ric please, don't.. No!" Brie begs as Alaric drinks the blood in the bowl and puts it down.

 **"** Is it finished?" Alaric asked as he wanted it to be over already.

Esther shakes her head "Not just yet" Esther stakes Alaric with the indestructible white oak stake. Alaric is lying on the floor of the Salvatore tomb. Brie pulls the indestructible white oak stake out of Alaric.

 **"** He'll wake soon, when he does he may for a time be his old self. If so you can say your goodbyes before his transition is complete"

 **"** You said you wanted to undo the evil that you created, but this...This is just as evil!"

 **"** Alaric will never be what my children became. I have granted him enough power to complete his task. Then when the time is right, he will die.

 **"** How, if he's immortal?"

 **"** All you need to know is that when this is over we will have rid the earth of vampires once and for all"

 **"** Yeah, but you'll be killing the good along with the bad, you're no better than Klaus!" Esther hears a noise and walks outside. Matt and Jeremy are there pointing a rifle and a crossbow at Esther.

"Don't move!" Matt yells as he still pointing the crossbow at Esther as Brie comes outside

"How foolish of you, to risk your lives in defense of those who will kill you. But if that is your choice" Esther uses her powers and makes Jeremy and Matt turn their hands and point their weapons at each other.

 **"** Matt! Matt drop your gun!"

 **"** I can't! I'm not controlling it!" Matt shouts as he tries to let go of his weapon.

 **"** Esther stop it!" Brie cried as she watched her friend aim their weapons at each other.

Alaric comes up and stabs Esther from behind. He is temporarily his old self. "Oh my god. Where's my ring? Tell me what happened"

Klaus and Damon are standing outside the school near the entrance to the gym hall.

 **"** You know this is your fault. You set us on this path when you released my mother. I wonder if revenge will prove worth the cost"

Stefan comes out and joins them "Oh, I'm done with revenge. As far as Esther; we've stopped her before, we'll stop her again"

 **"** We're strange bedfellows, you and I. You know, all of this, reminds me of our time together in the Twenties"

 **"** You say that like I'm supposed to have happy memories about it"

 **"** Well, there were moments. Real friendship. Brotherhood"

Damon walks up. "Well, he already has a brother. Not to be, you know, territorial or anything"

 **"** Oh no, of course, the Salvatore's and their unshakeable bond. I wonder what'll happen when Brie finally makes her choice. Will we see you shake just a little bit?"

Bonnie comes out of the school "It's done, Esther's not fighting me any more. The boundary spell is broken" Klaus tests the boundary with his arm, and seeing Bonnie's words are correct, rushes away.

Stefan turns around to Bonnie **"** Thank you, Bonnie. For everything"

 **"** I didn't do it for you" Bonnie said as she walked back into the school.

Inside the Salvatore tomb Elena , Alaric and Jeremy are talking.

 **"** Listen Jeremy, I'm not gonna complete the transition. My dark side was dangerous enough as a human. I can't be a vampire"

 **"** So, what we're just gonna lock you in here and let you die?" Alaric doesn't answer. "No, no we can't!"

 **"** Listen, Jeremy, it's the right thing to do, okay? After everything that's happened, after all that I have done. Maybe I had it coming. Please, you guys let's not make this any harder than it already is. You two should go. Damon's here. He'll make sure it'll all go down the right way" Alaric hugs Jeremy. Jeremy walks away. Alaric turns towards Elena. There are tears in her eyes.

 **"** This is all my fault. You moved out, you gave me your ring back, you didn't want any part of this and I, I forced you to stay and take care of us"

 **"** Don't do that, okay. Taking care of you and Jeremy has been-has been the closest I've ever come to the life I always wanted" Elena hugs Alaric and cries. "You should go" Elena walks out of the tomb. Alaric follows her. They see a gathering of people outside the tomb. There are lit candles scattered around them. Alaric smiles a little. Elena walks to Stefan. Stefan to Damon, Brie, Caroline and Tyler, Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, and stops on Meredith who is crying. Alaric tears up and goes into the tomb and closes the gate.

The lights are off. Matt goes behind the bar and pour five shots. Jeremy, Elena, Brie and Stefan sits down. Matt holds up his shot glass.

 **"** Mr. Saltzman"

 **"** Alaric" They all clink glasses and drink. Jeremy wipes away a tear as Elena gives him a hug.

Bonnie and Jamie are lying on top of her bed, asleep. She wakes up and rises from the bed when she sees something. Esther is standing in front of her bed.

 **"** Your sisters need you to finish what I started, Bonnie"

Bonnie wakes up from her dream. "Bonnie, hey, hey, I think you're having a bad dream" Bonnie goes back to sleep Damon takes a swig from the bottle. Another tear is streaming down Alaric's face. He takes the bottle and has a drink. Damon is sitting next to Alaric who is unconscious and breathing heavily. Alaric stops breathing. Damon drinks the rest of the whiskey in the bottle, puts it down and exits the tomb. Outside he sees Bonnie. There's a full moon in the sky.

 **"** What are you doing here?" Bonnie is walking blankly towards the tomb. She doesn't show any signs of noticing Damon. "Hey, Bonnie...What, are you sleepwalking or something? Bonnie?" Bonnie turns around and lifts her hand in the air towards Damon and gives him a headache. He clutches his head and falls to the ground screaming in pain. "No! Bonnie! No!" Bonnie enters the tomb, looks down at Alaric's body, then stabs one of her palms with the indestructible white oak stake and puts her palm to Alaric's mouth. He starts drinking. He wakes up, revealing vampire teeth. He pulls Bonnie closer, bites her neck, and drinks. He throws her body to the floor, gets up, and holds the stake


	16. Kidnapped

It's morning. Alaric is sitting alone at his desk in his classroom, his feet propped up on the desk. He twirls the white oak stake in his hands and takes his feet off the desk. He leans forward and looks at the stake. He turns to look out the door. He hears Brie entering the school. Brie is on the phone with Stefan, she walks through the halls of the school

"Okay talk to you soon, bye" Brie hangs up. She hears a noise and turns around. Behind her, Alaric rushes past. Brie turns back around

 **"** Hello?" Brie walks into the cafeteria. Rebekah is alone, cleaning up the mess from the dance.

"Where's Matt?" Brie asked as she looked around the room.

 **"** He bailed. Got called into work at the last minute"

"And Caroline?" Brie asked as Caroline was never the one to bail on any committee.

"She's all lovey dovey with Tyler, since it won't last long"

Could this day get any worse? Brie thought **"** Are you kidding me? So, it's just us?"

Rebekah nodded and looked at her watch "Yes, and you're late. Clean up committee started at eight o'clock"

Brie checks the time on her phone and rolls her eyes "It's like 8:02"

 **"** Exactly. I managed to turn up on time and I didn't even get to attend the dance that _I_ organized" Rebekah walks past Brie and empties out the trash.

Brie turns around to the blonde original "I'm sorry about your mom. I mean I know you like, hated her and everything, but still...I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry about your teacher. He seemed like a nice guy"

"Yeah. He was" Brie said looking down at her boots.

 **"** I'm going to get started on the gym" Rebekah walks out into the hallway. Alaric comes around the corner and Rebekah stops dead in her tracks. "You're supposed to be dead"

 **"** I am!" Rebekah rushes at Alaric, but Alaric throws her against the locker. He's about to stab her with the white oak stake when Brie rushes out of the cafeteria and pins Alaric to the locker. Rebekah takes the stake and stabs Alaric with it. Brie and Rebekah look at each other as Alaric takes the stake out. When he finally gets it out, he realizes that they are both gone. Outside, Brie rushes to her car and pulls out her keys and fumbles with them. She sees Alaric's reflection in her car window and drops her keys. Alaric injects a needle into Brie's neck and she falls to the ground. Alaric drags the unconscious Brie back towards the school as his flesh starts to smoke and burn off. Rebekah watches him enter the school.

Stefan was around The Gilbert's House to check up on how they were doing when the doorbell rings and he goes downstairs and answers the door. Damon is holding Bonnie by the arm she has a bite mark on her neck which is still dripping blood.

Bonnie, Damon, and Stefan are in the kitchen together. Stefan brings Bonnie a towel for her neck wound. "What do you mean he turned? I thought you were standing guard!"

 **"** Don't blame me. Blame Bonnie the blood bank. She fed him"

Bonnie grabbed the towel and placed it on her neck "I had no idea what was happening. Okay, the witches led me there, they wanted him to feed so he turned"

 **"** So, where's the stake now?"

 **"** Oh, you mean the white oak one? The one that can kill an Original and wipe out an entire line of vampires? We don't know" Damon glares at Bonnie as he speaks the last few words.

 **"** If you are so upset with me, why did you feed me your blood to save my life?"

 **"** Because I do stupid things, Bonnie. I do things, like let my friend die with dignity when I should have just killed him"

 **"** I've been trying to figure that out. A witch can't truly make an immortal creature, there is always a way to undo a spell" Elena is upstairs in Alaric's old room. Her phone rings. She picks it up and sees that it is Alaric calling her. She answers it. "Whoever this is, it's not funny"

 **"** Well, who else would it be?" Alaric said on the other end of the line putting his legs up on the table.

Elena sat up on the bed "Ric?"

 **"** Listen closely, I'm at the school, I have Brianna, and if you want to keep her alive, I need you to get in your car and come down here right away. If you tell anyone where you are going, I will kill her" Alaric hangs up. Brie is strapped down into a desk with pencils in her hands and a cloth in her mouth. The doorbell rings at the Gilbert house. Jeremy answers the door. Klaus is outside.

"What the hell do you want?"

Klaus has his arms behind his back "Now is that any way to treat a guest?"

Stefan comes up behind Jeremy "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

 **"** Well, for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me inside" Damon walks over to the door. Stefan moves in front of Jeremy.

 **"** Why don't you go up to your room?" Stefan looks at Jeremy who was just standing there.

Damon looks at Jeremy. "Now" Jeremy sighs and walks up the stairs.

 **"** Hm, poor lad, loses one questionable father figure only to be replaced by the likes of the two of you"

 **"** Yeah, about that. Something happened"

 **"** Oh, I know all about my mother's invulnerable little creation and that's why I'm here. I'm leaving town, just need to pick up a few road trip necessities. Spare tire, flashlight, doppelgänger"

 **"** Can't help you there" Damon claps Stefan on the shoulder, pulls him back, and shuts the door on Klaus and Damon moves into the living room.

Stefan goes towards the stairs. **"** Elena"

Outside, Klaus paces the front porch. He stops and picks up the newspaper by the front door. Inside, Stefan walks up the stairs and into Alaric's old room. Jeremy is here continuing to paint, but Elena is nowhere in sight.

 **"** Where is she?"

 **"** I don't know, she was just here a few minutes ago" Stefan walks out of the room and down the stairs where he meets up with Damon. Bonnie walks into the living room.

"What's going on?" Damon looks out the blinds and sees Klaus pacing with the newspaper still in his hands.

 **"** Klaus wants in, we have to keep him out" Damon sees Klaus pull back his arm and throw the newspaper at the window with vampire strength. "Ah, duck!" The newspaper smashes through the window and flies into the living room. Damon ducks down. Stefan grabs Bonnie and they both duck.

Alaric is sitting at his desk with Brie still strapped down to the chair. He hears Elena enter the school. "Right on time" Elena walks down the hallway, looking around. She hears Brie crying and runs towards the noise. She enters Alaric's classroom and sees Brie

 **"** Brie" Elena turns to Alaric "Let her go, Alaric!"

Alaric points towards Brie "Free her yourself"

Elena and Alaric stare at each other. Then, Elena cautiously walks over to Brie. She gets down and strokes Brie's arm soothingly. She starts to gently pull the pencil out of one of Brie's hands, but Alaric comes up and slams the pencil back down into her hand. Brie screams and Elena gets up. "You said that you would let her go!"

"How many times do I must tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires!"

Back at Elena's house, Klaus is still outside, waiting.

 **"** I think you're probably gonna want to let me in!" Klaus walks over to a neighbor's house with a white picket fence. He places his hands on the fence and looks around. He sees a soccer ball and smiles. Back in the house, Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan, and Damon are standing in the kitchen.

 **"** Elena's car is gone"

 **"** Why wouldn't she tell anyone where she was going?"

Suddenly, the front door bursts open and the soccer ball flies in. Klaus walks up the porch with two fence pickets in his hands. He hurls one of the pickets into the house and it narrowly misses Damon's head and gets stuck in the wall behind him. Stefan grabs Jeremy and Bonnie and pulls them down. "Get down!"

 **"** Missed me!" Damon pulls the picket out of the wall and throws it back at Klaus. The picket just grazes over his shoulder. Klaus breaks the other picket in two and throws half of it at Damon again, but instead he hits a picture and it breaks. **"** Missed me again!" Klaus aims the last picket into the house. Stefan's phone rings and he answers it. "Alaric." Klaus comes back up to the house with a propane tank and a newspaper "torch". Stefan comes up to the front door. "Put it out"

 **"** Come outside and make me"

Stefan steps outside "Elena's not here. Alaric has her and Brie and he's going to kill them both unless you turn yourself over to him"

Klaus throws down the newspaper and drops the propane tank "Now, I know you're not asking me to walk into a certain death"

 **"** I really wish we could. But unfortunately, if Alaric kills you there's a one in four chance that we die too"

Damon walks out with a picket over his shoulder. "I'll take those odds"

Stefan looks at Damon. "Why don't we just figure out a way to put Alaric down?" Klaus and Stefan are pacing outside and Damon is leaning against the picket. Klaus stops and turns around.

 **"** Okay, how about Damon sneaks in and distracts Alaric, while Stefan grabs Elena and carries her to safety?"

 **"** Huh, that's a great idea. What's to stop me from getting killed instantly? Brie's in there. Don't you have a thing for her? Or did she just reject you too many times? Damon said getting into Klaus's face as he didn't like the thought that Klaus liked the same girl.

Stefan pushes Damon away from Klaus, he didn't like how protective Damon was being over Brie. He knew Brie would pick him over Klaus and Damon any day but he didn't want to leave anything to risk **"** This isn't really helping too much"

Bonnie walks out of the house. "I might have an idea. My mom used a desiccation spell on Mikael that immobilized him for over 15 years. If I can get it, I might be able to use it on Alaric"

Klaus rolls his eyes "If and might? Your words inspire such confidence"

 **"** I'll get it but even with the spell, we'll need a lot of vampire muscle to take him down, including yours"

Klaus turns around. "Just so we're clear, the sun sets in about eight hours. If we don't succeed before then, Elena will be dead, I'll be gone, and the rest of you will be left to fend for yourselves"

Alaric takes another pencil and stabs it in her other, he picks up another pencil and stabs it in her leg. Brie screams in pain as Alaric walks back to her

Brie groans and starts begging for him to stop "No, no more, please, no more!"

Elena gets up "Alaric stop!"

Alaric pushes Elena back into a seat. "Sit down! It's like inhaling razorblades with every breath" Alaric puts the cloth back in Brie's mouth as she cries and screams in pain. Elena touches her arm. Alaric picks up the white oak stake and walks towards Elena.

 **"** What?! No!"

 **"** Isn't this what you wanted, Elena? For me to teach you how to kill?" Alaric holds out the white oak stake towards her. "Kill her"

Elena shakes her head "This isn't what I want"

 **"** Of course, it is all those hours you spent training, getting stronger, you could be a hunter, Elena." He persistently holds out the stake. Elena stares at it.

Stefan and Klaus pull up to the school's parking lot in Klaus' car. They get out and Stefan receives a text. "Abby just showed up"

 **"** Good. Perhaps this plan won't be an epic failure after all. You know, if this does go off and we drop the history teacher in the Atlantic, I'm still leaving with Elena and maybe the lovely Brianna" Klaus smirked to get a reaction from Stefan.

"I'll go with you"

Klaus turns around to Stefan "Really? What's the catch?"

Stefan shook his head "There's no catch. I'd turn my back on everything here to make sure Brie's safe"

 **"** And that is what makes you her better option. It's a shame it's not easier for Brie to see that, I mean, personally, I think she's wasting her time with Damon"

Stefan knew Klaus's plan was to ruin his relationship with Damon so Brie could run into his arms **"** You know, all this time and energy you've spent trying to get me and my brother to hate each other. It's actually had the opposite effect"

Klaus laughs "Has it? Has it really? Well then, perhaps I should let Brie decide which Salvatore joins us, being as you and Damon are so close"

 **"** Ah, go for it. Damon and I have been through a hell of a lot worse than you" Stefan walks away. Jeremy is sitting on a table outside looking at his ring. Bonnie and Damon walk over to him. Bonnie shows Damon something on her phone.

 **"** I just got this. It connects me to Brie and Elena through our phones" Bonnie turns on the app and it locates Brie and Elena. "They're in Alaric's classroom. You should go in from the south entrance"

 **"** Digital locator spell. Why the hell do we need you then?" Damon and Bonnie walk over to Jeremy. Damon holds out his hand. "Hand, it over"

Jeremy shook his head "I'm not giving you my ring. Let me do this"

 **"** By my math, you've already bit it once, this will be twice, wearing that thing and if for some reason, Bonnie can't restart your heart and you do indeed die, then before you know it, we have another psycho alter ego case on our hands, which is bad so give me the ring."

 **"** This is my ring, Elena's my sister. No one's gonna fight harder for her than me"

 **"** Fine, be stubborn" Looks at Bonnie "Try not to kill him, will you?"

Klaus and Stefan walk up to them. "Look at this, one big, happy family"

Bonnie pulls out a small vial with her blood. "Drink this. It's my blood. It bridges us all together so that when I stop Jeremy's heart, you'll have the power to stop Alaric's. You need to make a physical connection to his bloodstream; a vein, artery, something connected to his heart"

Damon drinks some blood out of the vial and hands it to Stefan. "If one of us gets a clean shot, take it, the other two: hold him down" Stefan takes a swig of the blood and passes it to Klaus.

 **"** Before we all walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we? I was the one who created your vampire bloodline, therefore I am responsible for your lives and Tyler's life, Brie's life, and of course, Abby's life, should anything go wrong" Klaus drinks the remainder of the blood.

 **"** Let's just get this over with, shall we?" Stefan, Damon, and Klaus all walk to the school, leaving Jeremy and Bonnie behind. In the classroom, Brie is still strapped down to a desk, Elena is in the desk next to her. Alaric paces in front of them.

 **"** Why are you doing this?"

 **"** Because you need me. Because you're an eighteen-year-old girl without parents or guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore Elena, your parents led the council. It was their life's mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead six months before you undid it all"

 **"** You don't know anything about them"

 **"** Why, am I wrong? Do you actually think that they'd be proud of you?" Alaric kneels in front of Elena. "If you don't side with the humans, you're just as bad as them. Now kill her" Alaric hands her the stake "Or I'll do it for you and I'll make it hurt. Get up!"

Alaric grabs Elena's arm and pulls her out of her seat. He places her in front of Brie and forces the stake into her hand. He pulls away. Elena stands there with the stake in her hand for a moment, then turns around and tries to stab Alaric. He grabs her wrist before she can. "I thought I taught you better than that"

 **"** You did" Elena breaks the beaker filled with vervain over Alaric's head. He screams in pain and his flesh starts to burn. Elena releases Brie and urges her to leave. "Get help!" Brie rushes out of the room, Elena right behind her. Brie manages to get out, but Alaric blocks Elena from leaving.

"Not so fast" Brie gets out into the hallway, turns around, and realizes Elena is not with her. She continues to walk backwards when suddenly Klaus grabs her from behind. He covers her mouth, so no one can hear her scream.

Whispering, Klaus tries to calm her down "Shhh. It's okay, it's okay. It's me" He takes his hand off of her mouth. "It's okay, you're safe. We'll save Elena. You go straight home. You stay inside, do you understand?" He turns Brie around so that she is facing him. "Do you understand me?"

Brie nods "Thank you" They look at each other for a moment, then Klaus rushes away. Brie stands in the hallway for a second and then runs out. In the hallway, Alaric throws Elena into a locker and grabs her by the throat, holding her up against it.

 **"** I should kill you. I should gut you like Brian Walters, Bill Forbes, and all the other cowards I plan on ripping apart. You're the worst offender of them all, Elena. You don't deserve to live"

 **"** So then, why am I still alive? There's obviously no humanity left in you, so what's stopping you, Alaric? If you want me dead then kill me" Alaric's eyes start to become red and veiny "Do it! Kill me!" Alaric's eyes become normal again and he releases Elena from his grasp. Suddenly, Stefan and Damon rush up to him and grab him by his arms.

 **"** Do it now!" Alaric pushes them off of him and breaks Stefan's back. Stefan falls to the ground, temporarily dead. Damon rushes towards Alaric, but Alaric snaps his neck, temporarily killing him as well. Klaus rushes towards Alaric and places his hand into Alaric's chest. Bonnie and Jeremy are in the woods together. Jeremy's lying on the ground, while Bonnie is kneeling next to him. Bonnie feels that Klaus has contacted Alaric's heart.

 **"** They made contact. It's happening" Bonnie places her hands above Jeremy and begins to chant a spell. Bonnie starts chanting "Ocoros Mecante, Aleora Subsitos. Ocoros Mecante, Aleora Subsitos. Ocoros Mecante, Aleora Subsitos"

Meanwhile inside the school, Alaric manages to pull Klaus' hand out of his chest and throws him to the ground. Bonnie feels the break in the connection and stops chanting. Alaric grabs Klaus and throws him against the lockers. He flips him over and is about to stake him with the white oak stake, but Klaus fights back. A struggle ensues where Alaric continues to try to push the stake towards his heart and Klaus tries to push it away. Suddenly, Elena yells at them.

"Stop!" Alaric looks up at Elena. Elena has a knife to her throat. "Let him go or I'll kill myself"

 **"** Put it down, Elena"

 **"** Why? Because you still need me alive? There's a reason why Esther used me to make you, isn't there? She didn't want you to be immortal, so she tied your life to a human one. Mine. That way you have only one life span to kill all vampires and then you'll be gone. So, when I die, you die too. That's it, it has to be!" Elena begins to cut her throat open.

 **"** Stop! STOP! STOP! STOP!" In his moment of panic, Klaus seizes the chance and throws Alaric off of him. He rushes towards Elena, grabs her and leaves. Alaric gets up and realizes that they're both gone.


	17. Departed

Klaus' heartbeat begins slowing down and he begins to desiccate. Damon moves away from him and goes towards Brie, who is waking up. He grabs her gently.

 **"** Hey, are you okay?" Brie nods. "Come on" Damon helps Brie up. Klaus continues to become more decrepit looking. The veins on Bonnie's face, which look similar to the desiccation ones appearing on Klaus, start to creep away. Bonnie breathes for a moment, clearly feeling the effect of the dark magic. She then places her hands above Jeremy and recites a spell to revive him.

 **"** En Dugas, Tuas, Animos!" He doesn't awaken. Bonnie starts to panic and shakes him. "Oh my God! Jeremy!" Bonnies begins to pound on his chest haphazardly. "Jeremy! Jeremy!" Jeremy wakes up and props himself up on his elbows. Bonnie places her forehead against his. Klaus has been completely neutralized. Stefan takes his hand out of his chest and Tyler lays Klaus down on the ground.

 **"** We should get her home before the sun sets" Damon takes Brie's hand and walks her out of the house. Tyler follows. Stefan stares at Klaus' body for a moment then walks out as well

Stefan, Brie, and Damon get out of the car and walk towards the house.

 **"** Huh, you two are really gonna walk me all the way to the door, aren't you?"

 **"** You lost a lot of blood today" Stefan looked at her with a concerned look on his face.

Brie nodded "Yeah, I know, but I told you I'm fine, I just have a little headache" Brie said as she rubbed her forehead.

Damon looks up at the sky and the sun is going down **"** Yeah, but the sun's about to go down and Ric's going to be able to terrorize the streets any minute"

 **"** Yeah, but he can't hurt me. It's you two that we should be worrying about."

Stefan shakes his head **"** Nah, he won't be able to find us"

Brie opens the front door and goes in. **"** I'll call you when we get back. Stefan and Damon start to leave.

"Just...be careful. Both of you" Brie shouts as Stefan and Damon leave. Brie watches them go, walks back inside and closes the door. When she enters the kitchen, she hears laughter and sees Jeremy, Elena, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, and Bonnie. "What are you guys doing here?"

 **"** Welcome to our victory party!" Caroline squeals as she pours some champagne into a glass.

Brie raised her eyebrow "What victory? We failed, Alaric's still out there"

Bonnie nods her head "We know, but we've been trying to get rid of Klaus forever and Caroline convinced us to enjoy it for a night"

 **"** You know, to be honest, I'm a little pissed none of you let me help you take down Original brother number two" Matt puts his arm around Tyler.

 **"** Yeah, he would have taken you right down to the hospital, bro" Tyler joked as Matt took his arm off Tyler.

 **"** Please, I'm more stealth than that. I'm like a ninja"

Caroline comes up to Brie and hands her a shot of tequila. "Here, you need this" Brie takes the shot and looks at Caroline quizzically. Caroline rubs Brie's arm. Tyler walks over to them.

 **"** Hey, give me your hand" Tyler says to Brie who gives her hand for Tyler to take as he pours salt on Brie's hand.

Caroline wraps her arm around Tyler. "All right, let's drink!"

Brie shakes her head "I do not condone this, by the way"

 **"** You survived Klaus. All right, make an exception, you can go back to being responsible tomorrow" She raises her shot glass to her mouth, but stops.

 **"** Hang on. Do you guys hear that?" They all remain silent for a moment, listening for something. "That is the sound of a Klaus-free life" They all laugh.

Brie raises her shot glass "To a Klaus free life" The others raise their glasses too. "And to all of you. My family" They all clink their glasses together, say cheers, and drink.

Stefan and Damon are driving to drop off Klaus' body. Damon pats the casket. "How many desiccated hybrids does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

 **"** You're in a good mood"

Damon turns around to his brother "Yeah I'm in a good mood. Klaus is dead, my brother's half way sane, again. Give or take an immortal hunter who wants to kill us, we won, Stefan. Come on say it. Say it"

 **"** We won" Stefan said with no expression on his face.

 **"** Once more with feeling"

 **"** We. Won" Stefan said this time with a smile. "Nah, you know what, turns out we make a pretty good team, huh?"

 **"** It only took a century and a half" Damon said with a sarcastic tone.

Stefan stands there silently as he tries to come out with what he wants to say "What happens when uh, Brie makes a decision?" Stefan asked as he was still weary even though Brie told him that she'd pick him.

 **"** You know how these things pan out, Stefan. She'll probably make a list of pros and cons and then at the end of the day dump both of our asses if not then she'll pick one of us"

 **"** Well, if she chooses you, I'll leave town and let you two be happy and not be bothered by me" Stefan tries to say with no feeling but saying that breaks his heart as he'd hate to think Brie would pick Damon over him.

 **"** And in sixty years, we'll go back to being brothers and none of this will have mattered. Right?" Damon joked as he looked at Stefan who just stood there "Fine, if she chooses you, I'll leave town too. All this over one girl"

 **"** She's a pretty special girl" Stefan says as he remembers the first time he met Brie.

 **"** Yeah, she is" Damon says as he looks on.

Brie is in her and Caroline's room and she decides the room needs to be brightened up more and grabs a paintbrush. She continues to paint the window frame and bends down to dip the paintbrush into the paint. Suddenly, Brie grabs her head in pain and falls to the ground, unconscious. Her nose starts bleeding profusely.

"Oh my god Brie!" Caroline shouts as she rushes to Brie's side. "You aren't dying on me today" Caroline says as she picks Brie up and rushes to her car and puts Brie in the backseat and helps her with her seatbelt. Caroline rushes to the driver's seat and puts her seatbelt on before reverses out the driveway and drives to the hospital.

 _*FlashBack*_

 _Brie's radio alarm clock goes off at 6:45 in the morning. She turns up the music and gets out of bed. She pulls her hair up into a ponytail and dances a bit in front of the mirror. She grabs her pom poms and throws them onto the window seat where her cheerleader uniform is laid out. After changing into her uniform, Brie walks downstairs and into the kitchen where her Dad is making coffee._

 _"_ _Hey" Brie grabs the coffee pot, but her dad takes it back._

 ** _"_** _Hey! You'll get me in trouble"_

 _Brie's Mum walks into the kitchen. "Good morning"_

 ** _"_** _Morning, mom" Her Mum kisses Brie on the cheek._

The next morning, Brie wakes up in a hospital bed at night and looks around. Later when she's asleep, Meredith and Caroline are outside her room, observing her. "She's gonna be fine. She got a little banged up today, hit her head, but it was just a slight concussion, nothing to worry about"

"Okay thanks Meredith" Caroline smiles as Meredith walks off to her next patient. Caroline looks at Brie who was still asleep in the hospital bed. Damon and Stefan are driving towards the Atlantic to dump Klaus' body. Caroline has called them from the hospital "You did what?"

 **"** I took her to the hospital. When you find your best friend unconscious, you call 911. Meredith wants to keep her here for observation"

 **"** Blondie, get Brie home, we're on our way" Damon hangs up on her

 **"** You know one of us needs to keep moving, right? If Klaus really is the sire of our bloodline, we need to keep his body hidden before Alaric finds him, kills him, and we all end up dead"

 **"** Our life is one, big, proverbial coin toss"

At The Forbes Household, Tyler and Matt open the front door. Caroline walks in behind them with her arm wrapped around Brie, helping her into the house.

 **"** Couch" Caroline says rushing in when she fluffs up the pillows to make Brie comfortable.

 **"** I'm fine. I just...I want something to eat first"

 **"** We're on it, as soon as we make sure no one is lurking in the closets" Tyler and Matt walk upstairs.

Caroline leads Elena to the couch. **"** All right, couch, now!"

 **"** Uhh, I told you I'm fine" Caroline grabs a blanket off a chair and follows Elena.

 **"** Doctor says rest, you rest" Brie sits down on the couch and Caroline covers her with the blanket. "Now, what can I get you? Do you want some tea, maybe some vodka? Both will help you sleep" Brie stares at Caroline and Caroline sits down on the couch. "I know, I'm being smothering. It's what I do"

 **"** No, it's-it's nice"

"I'm thinking-maybe tea with vodka" They both laugh and Caroline gets up. Brie remains on the couch and looks at a picture on the end table of her and her parents and one of her with her cheerleader uniform on. Brie eyes slowly close as the picture begins to get blurry. A few hours later Brie wakes up and Matt is sitting beside her.

 **"** Where is everyone?" Brie says as she sits up.

 **"** Tyler and Bonnie got a call from their moms. What were you dreaming about?"

 **"** Sophomore year"

 **"** Seems like forever ago"

Stefan enters the house and quickly walks across the room towards Brie "Stefan" Brie smiled as she gets up from the couch and walks towards him. He pulls her into a tight hug.

"Hey" Stefan says embracing her as he rubs her back.

Brie is lying on the couch again, while Matt and Stefan are cooking in the kitchen. "I'm being over coddled. I feel completely fine" Brie says shouting from the Livingroom.

 **"** You're on house arrest. You're supposed to be coddled"

 **"** Wouldn't it be smarter if we just got you the hell out of town?"

 **"** And do what? Go on the run for the rest of my life? No thank you" Brie gets up. "And I'm not an invalid. I'm done with the couch" Brie leaves the room.

Matt looks to see if Brie was out of hearing distance and turns back to Stefan "So, you're just gonna let her call the shots?"

Stefan shakes his head "Letting her make her own decisions"

 **"** Even if they're wrong?" Matt continued.

 **"** Nothing wrong with free will, Matt. Trust me, you don't realize that till you lose it"

"Stefan" Stefan and Matt look towards the front doorway. The front door is wide open, and Elijah is standing in front of Brie.

 **"** Elijah"

 **"** Hello again" Elijah says smiling at the front door. Elijah, Matt, Stefan, and Elena are together in the kitchen. "All we need is to take that stake away from him. Once he's been disarmed, the weapon's in my possession, my family will scatter to the ends of the Earth and Alaric will follow us"

 **"** And you'll just run?" Stefan sits next to Brie.

 **"** We've done it before. Klaus and Rebekah spent the better part of a thousand years evading my father. What's another half century while Brie is able to live out the rest of her natural life?"

 **"** We've finally stopped him, Elijah. After everything that he's done to us, I can't just let you bring him back"

 **"** I give you my word, Brianna. I will not revive Klaus within yours nor even within your children's lifetimes. Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners"

 **"** Why should she trust you? All you've done is screw her over" Matt says standing leaning against the counter.

 **"** And for that, I am deeply ashamed. But know this, she could have been dead the instant I walked through that door tonight, so Brianna, I leave it to you to make the decision whether to trust me or not"

Suddenly, Damon responds. He is on the phone from the road. "Not! Hello? Did that concussion give you brain damage?! His lunatic siblings will kill you the first chance they get!"

 **"** Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms. If you return Klaus' body to us, Brianna will come to no harm" Brie looks at Stefan. "Do we have a deal?"

 **"** No! No, no, no, no! Did I mention _no_?" Damon shouts over the other end of the phone.

Stefan sighs and looks at Brie "Brie, it's up to you.

Brie looks at Stefan and nods and then looks at Elijah "Why do you want Klaus' body?"

 **"** He's my brother. We remain together"

Brie sighs "We have a deal" Damon and Bonnie exit an elevator into a room of storage units. "You know, I'm not half way out of Virginia and Brie sells our souls to the Originals?"

 **"** Where's the body? As long as it's unspelled, Alaric is one witch away from finding it"

 **"** Hidden. I was gonna use Unit 666, but figured that would be a little obvious. So.." They stop in front of a unit. "1020. Mini fridge, a couple bird cages, a box of old Playboys" Damon opens the unit's shutter door. "One beef jerkified Original" Bonnie opens the casket. Klaus' chained and desiccated body lies within it. Suddenly, Klaus opens his eyes and looks at them. "Oh, creepy"

Bonnie stares at Klaus body **"** I need a minute"

 **"** Just jam the witch locator, bat signal or whatever and get on with it, Bonnie."

Bonnie turned to Damon **"** Elena and Jeremy lost Jenna and Alaric because of him. Tyler's a hybrid, my mother's a vampire. Could you give me a minute to just appreciate the sight of him like this?"

Damon leaves and closes the door of the storage unit. Bonnie leans over the casket, looking down at Klaus. "You should burn in hell. But if you die, so do my friends. So does my mother. What am I supposed to do about that?"

Stefan and Brie are standing around in Brie's room. Brie looks worried. Stefan caresses her face.

 **"** Hey, what's wrong?"

 **"** Lately, I feel like every time someone walks out of this house, there's a chance they may not make it back home"

 **"** Well, I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure that we all come back" Stefan rubs her arm soothingly and starts to leave the room. Brie turns towards Stefan.

 **"** Stefan" Stefan halts and turns back towards Brie "Forget it. Um-we-we can talk later" Stefan turns to leave the room again, but hesitates in the doorway. Finally, he turns towards Brie, walks over to her, grabs her face in his hands and kisses her passionately. He pulls away and they look at each other.

 **"** That's just in case there is no later" Stefan leaves.


	18. Before The Sunset

Damon is relaxing on a couch in a unit. He is on the phone with Stefan who is exiting the Forbes house. "Bonnie just left. Rebekah should be here soon to pick up the body"

 **"** I've got Caroline and Elijah in place. Jeremy is gonna lead Alaric to us"

 **"** You just had to let her make the choice, didn't you?"

 **"** What would you have done, Damon?"

 **"** Grabbed her, gagged her, threw her in a well, I don't know, anything other than let her trust Elijah"

"As soon as we get the stake, hand over the coffin and get out. Alaric's got half the police looking for Klaus' car"

 **"** Will do" Damon hears the elevator bell dings "Gotta go, the Original sister is here" Damon hangs up and walks out of the unit. "It's about time, sexy Bex"

Alaric comes up from behind Damon and grabs him in a chokehold. "Where is Klaus?"

"How did you find me?" Damon says as he gasps for air.

 **"** Oh, you'd be amazed at how competent law enforcement is when it's not corrupted by vampires. Now, where is Klaus?"

 **"** In a storage locker. There's only about a thousand of them, have at it" Alaric breaks his neck and places him on the ground. He walks off to begin his search for Klaus' body.

Brie is sitting at her window seat. Matt enters the room with a cup of tea for her. "Mm, thank you" She takes a sip and scrunches up her face in disgust. Matt sits in a chair next to her.

 **"** Sorry, I over-honeyed. I suck at tea" Brie laughs. "So, Stefan?"

"He is the one I love, when we met it felt special, I've never had that with anyone else before. We got on like a house on fire right from the start and he's been there for me from the day me and him met and he's saved my life. He makes me want to survive after everything that happened to me from my mum passing away to my dad abandoning me"

 **"** So, do you feel like you owe him or something?"

 **"** No, I kind of felt like I didn't know how to live anymore, like I didn't want to, but then being with Stefan it just somehow I figured it out and that's what love should be you should love the person that makes you glad that you're alive"

 **"** So then, what's the problem?"

 **"** The problem's Damon. He doesn't leave me alone, I've told him I love Stefan but he doesn't listen but then that's Damon for you I wish that I had my mom here to give me some advice" Brie sips her tea and looks out the window.

 _Brie's eyes start to close and goes into a deep sleep she see's herself walking away from the bonfire party as she talks on the phone with aunt. "Hey, it's me"_

 ** _"_** _Your dad is making me play Pictionary. I suck at Pictionary"_

 _Brie hears her dad shout on the other side of the line "You do. You're terrible"_

 ** _"_** _Bite me, Colace" Jenna shouts at Brie's dad._

 ** _"_** _Listen, do you think someone could come pick me up?"_

 ** _"_** _Oh, having second thoughts about ditching family night?" Jenna says crossing her arms._

 ** _"_** _Here" Kate hands her the phone "Brie everything okay?"_

 ** _"_** _Scott and I got into a fight. He was talking about college and marriage and all the stuff that he always talks about and I just, I couldn't"_

 ** _"_** _He doesn't really care about that yet, honey, he's just trying to figure out how you feel about him right now"_

 ** _"_** _I don't know how I feel" Brie says as she shakes her head. She just started dating Scott and he was already trying to take it to the next step. She wasn't ready for any of that yet._

 ** _"_** _Yes you do. You're just afraid to say it"_

 ** _"_** _Yeah, but I don't want to lose him"_

 _Her mother shakes her head_ _ **"**_ _You're not going to lose him, honey. You're setting him free"_

Brie wakes up in the passenger's seat and Matt is driving them away from Mystic Falls "What's going on?"

 **"** It's the only way I was gonna get you in this truck" Matt said still looking at the road.

Brie thought for a second "The tea. You drugged me?"

 **"** I'm sorry, Brie, but you're right, okay. You don't have any parents to tell you what's right or wrong, you've got me and Jeremy and a bunch of vampires fighting a war you shouldn't be in the middle of"

 **"** What the hell is going on, Matt?" Brie says sitting up in the seat.

 **"** I'm getting you out of town, Brie. It's the only way to keep you safe"

Alaric breaks the locks off and opens the doors to several of the storage units. After not being able to find Klaus' body in any of them, he hears the elevator bell ding and Rebekah coming out of the elevator. "Damon! Damon, where are you?" Alaric pulls out the white oak stake and begins to walk towards Rebekah's voice. Rebekah is searching for Damon. "Damon, this isn't funny" Rebekah walks down a line of storage units while Alaric continues to search for her. She continues walking down a row and is suddenly grabbed from behind by Damon, who covers her mouth so she won't scream. She pulls her back so they are hidden behind a unit.

 **"** Rebekah. Shhhh" Alaric continues searching for Rebekah, but stops in front of storage unit 1020 and sees that the lock has been broken off. He opens the unit door, but Klaus' casket is gone. In another part of the warehouse, Rebekah and Damon are wheeling Klaus' casket to a car, but Alaric comes out of nowhere, grabs Rebekah and slams her head against her car, then throws her to the ground. Damon rushes at Alaric but Alaric kicks him out of his way. Alaric opens the casket and pulls out the white oak stake. Klaus' eyes fly open. Rebekah rushes to get up.

 **"** No! No! No!" Alaric stakes Klaus' in the heart. Klaus gasps. Damon grabs Rebekah so that she can't run to the casket. Klaus' body is set aflame. Rebekah continues to scream and cry. Alaric turns around.

 **"** Next" Alaric says looking at Rebekah as she was the next target.

 **"** Rebekah, run. Run!" Damon pushes Rebekah towards the opposite direction and she rushes off. Damon rushes towards Alaric to distract him, but Alaric throws him to the ground and rushes off in search of Rebekah. Later, Damon is sitting on the floor in the storage units. He calls Stefan, who is in the woods with Jeremy.

 **"** Damon"

 **"** Bad news, brother. Alaric staked Klaus. He's dead" Damon sighs as he leans against

Stefan looks at himself up and down **"** I feel okay, do you feel anything? It took Sage about an hour before she got sick"

 **"** Yeah or Klaus was lying about being the sire of our bloodline"

 **"** Well, if he wasn't lying, an hour is not enough time to get you all the way back to Mystic Falls"

 **"** For us to have our epic goodbye, Stefan?"

Stefan shakes his head and hates what he's going to say but says it anyways **"** Not us, brother. You and Brie"

 **"** Well, I guess you'll just have to say goodbye for both of us, won't you? Call me if you cough up a lung" Damon hangs up.

Matt is on the phone with Jeremy. "Got it, Jer" He hangs up.

 **"** We have to go back. Listen to me, Matt, if Klaus is the one that turned their bloodline, then they're all gonna die" Matt doesn't respond, Brie starts shouting "We have to go back, Matt!"

 **"** Damon's not with them"

Brie looks at him shocked "What?"

 **"** He's a hundred miles out of town. I can keep driving to him or I can turn around and go back to Stefan. It's your choice" Matt says as Brie looks onto the road and makes her decision.

Damon's phone rings. Brie is calling him and he picks up. "Let me guess. Calling to see if the Grim Reaper's paid a visit?"

 **"** How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?" Brie askes looking concerned.

 **"** Not yet. But I'm sure we'll have a laugh when we find out that Klaus is a big, fat liar, hey where are you?" Damon asks hoping she's on her way to see him.

Brie takes a pause and sighs "Matt's taking me home"

 **"** To Stefan" Damon says as he looks down, devastated.

 **"** Not just to Stefan, Damon. To Tyler, to Caroline"

 **"** Ah, I know, I get it. So, since I'm possibly a dead man, can I ask you a question?" Damon looks back up.

Brie nods over the phone "Yeah, of course"

 **"** If it was just down to him and me and you had to make a choice who got the goodbye, who would it be?"

Brie starts to choke up. "I love him, Damon. He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly. No matter what I feel for you, I never unfell for him"

 **"** Yeah, I get it. Stefan, it's always gonna be Stefan" Damon sighs as he wonders why he always loses the girl he loves to his brother.

 **"** I can't think about always. All I can think about is right now. And I care about you, Damon, which is why I should let you go. I mean, maybe if you and I had met first"

 **"** Yeah, maybe"

Brie's voice gets stronger "You're going to be fine, you hear me, you're going to be okay and I'm going to see you soon"

Alaric is behind Damon. Damon looks up at him. "Real soon. Goodbye, Brie "Damon hangs up. "I see you're still pissed. I take it Goldilocks gave you the slip" Alaric rushes over towards him and punches him in the face.

Brie has her phone out. "I need to call Stefan, but my phone is dying"

Matt pulls out his phone. "Here. Use mine" Matt hands over his phone as they drive towards the Wickery Bridge.

 **"** Thanks" Brie looks up and sees a figure standing in the middle of the road. "Matt, look out!" Rebekah is the figure standing in the road. Matt swerves to avoid her and sends the truck flying over the guardrail and into the water.

Matt's pickup truck has sunk to the bottom of the river. Brie wakes up and looks over at Matt. His eyes are shut, Brie turns his face towards hers and starts to shake him, desperately. Brie continues to shake Matt vigorously, as she continues to yell his name without a sound. She then tries to open the door, but it won't open. She tries to break the window with her elbow. Stefan swims up to Matt's window; Brie desperately tries to shake Matt so he wakes up. Stefan rips Matt's door off and swims over him towards Brie. Brie shakes her hand and points to Matt. Stefan shakes his head and continues to try to get Brie out. Brie persists on him getting Matt out first though. Stefan and Brie stare at each other for a moment. Stefan struggles with the fact that he can't save Matt and come back quick enough to save Brie as well. But, he abides Brie's wishes, grabs Matt and swims back to the surface. Brie takes a few final breathes, shuts her eyes, and becomes lifeless. Alaric and Damon are still fighting. Damon grabs Alaric's wrist and the stake falls out of his hand. Alaric starts to feel weak.

"What's happening?!" Alaric falls to his knees and Damon goes down with him, cradling him in his arms.

 **"** No. No, no, no, no. Ric, Ric! You are not dead. You are not dead" Alaric starts to desiccate and then dies. Damon shakes his body and tears start to glisten in his eyes, knowing that, not only has he lost his best friend, but that he has also lost Brie. In the morgue, Brie's body is lying on a stretcher. Stefan is sitting next to her with tears in his eyes. Upstairs, Damon bursts into the hospital. "Where is she?"

Meredith sees him and walks over to him. "No, Damon, wait"

 **"** Where is she!?" Meredith grabs Damon and stops him. "You need to know, when Caroline brought Brie in here earlier tonight, her injuries were worse than I let on. It wasn't a concussion, it was a cerebral hemorrhage, bleeding of the brain"

 **"** What are you saying?" Damon looked at Meredith with a concerned look on his face.

"She was so worried, I didn't want to tell her, but I helped her. She needed my help"

 **"** You what?" In the morgue, Brie's body still lies on the stretcher. Suddenly, Brie comes back to life, gasping for air.


	19. Transition

At the Forbes Household. There is a bright white light and the sounds of church bells ringing, sirens, and yard work going on can be heard. Suddenly, Brie gasps for air and wakes up. It's morning. Stefan is sitting on the end of her bed, watching her. She seems confused about what is going on around her. "Stefan?"

 **"** Hey, I'm right here. You've been in and out for hours"

 **"** What happened?" Brie says looking around the room.

 **"** You were in an accident" Stefan said taking her hand and rubbing his finger on her hand.

 **"** Oh my God. Matt, is he?" Damon interrupts; he is sitting on the window seat next to Elena's bed.

 **"** Alive?" Brie and Stefan both look at him. "Ask Stefan. The hero"

Brie looks back at Stefan "He's fine" he said reassuring her.

"Thank you. I thought that wait how did you...?"

 **"** Save you? He didn't"

 **"** When Caroline brought you to the hospital before all this happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew. Meredith Fell made a choice, she used Damon's blood to heal you"

 **"** And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Brie" Brie starts to panic.

"Oh my God, does that mean that I – am I dead?" Stefan and Damon say nothing. "No, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

 **"** Maybe it doesn't have to. I talked to Bonnie, she says she's stronger than ever, there might be something that she can do to help you"

 **"** No, the only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition" Damon says standing up from his spot.

Stefan turns to his brother "We have all day before she has to feed, Damon. That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this"

"There is no way out of it. We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three" Damon says as he get frustarted that Stefan think they can cure Brie.

Brie starts crying "I was ready to die. I was supposed to die I don't want to be – I can't be a vampire! If there's something that Bonnie can do we have to try."

 **"** We will. We'll try everything"

Damon scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Your choice, Brie as always" Damon gets up and leaves. Stefan looks at Brie who is still in tears. In the kitchen, Damon grabs a bottle of alcohol from a cupboard and pours himself a drink. Stefan enters the kitchen. "Way to get her hopes up for something that's never happened in the history of vampirism"

 **"** You know what, you weren't there the day Brie looked me in the eye and told me she absolutely never wanted this"

Damon drinks the whole drink in a single gulp. "Then you shouldn't have let her die"

"I never meant for her to die. She asked me to help Matt first and I did"

 **"** And now the world has one more quarterback. Bravo, brother" Damon pours himself another drink.

 **"** I made a choice that I will regret for the rest of my life. Now let me try to fix it" Stefan leaves. Damon finishes his second drink. Back in the bedroom, Brie is looking at herself in the mirror. She is breathing heavily and rubs her face. She touches her teeth to check if they have sprouted fangs yet. Her hearing has intensified and she hears the electricity running through a lightbulb and looks down at it. Suddenly, she sees Caroline in the doorway and walks over to her.

"Care" They embrace.

 **"** Are you okay? I had to go through all this too my emotions were all over the place all these old memories came flooding back"

Brie glances over at the lightbulb again, but turns back to face Caroline. "I'm fine"

 **"** No, you're not. You're you, you act like everything's okay so no one worries about you but you need help" Brie keeps glancing at the lightbulb.

 **"** I said I'm fine, okay?" Brie snapped as Caroline took a step back and Brie sighs "I'm sorry, have you talked to Bonnie?"

Caroline nodded and tells Brie what Bonnie told her **"** Yeah, she said when Jeremy was shot; she made some plea to the witch spirits to bring him back and they listened"

 **"** Yeah, but the consequences were horrible"

 **"** And what could be more horrible than you turning into a vampire? We don't need any more running about, I don't want this for you" Caroline sighed as she didn't want her best friend to become one of them, she wanted at least one of her friends to have a normal life.

 **"** We're going to find a way out of this, everything's going to be okay" Brie said rubbing Caroline's arm.

Caroline sighed and nodded "I hope so" Caroline leaves as Brie turns around and looks at the lightbulb in the lamp. She strides towards it, pulls off the lampshade and crushes the lightbulb in her hand.

In the Lockwood Cellar, Klaus' desiccated body is lying in a coffin. Bonnie is staring at it. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Bonnie turns around and sees Klaus in Tyler's body entering the cellar. "What is that doing here, Klaus? The deal we made with Tyler was that you'd leave his body and jump into someone else's the first chance you got"

 **"** Yes, when I assumed I'd be a pile of ash. But apparently, fate and oxygen intervened and there I am" Klaus walks towards the coffin. "Put me back"

 **"** I can't right now"

"Your history teacher outed Tyler and Caroline to the Council. They're on a war path and this body's vulnerable"

 **"** I have to help Brie before she has to feed"

Klaus grabs Bonnie by the throat. "You're forgetting that I could rip your tongue out. Now put me back"

 **"** If I can save Brie, then wouldn't you be happy and go on your days loving her when she despises you?"

Klaus releases Bonnie. Bonnie starts to leave, but Klaus super speeds in front of her and blocks her way out. "Same rules apply. No one knows. No one. Do you understand me, Bonnie?"

Brie and Stefan are in the kitchen and Brie takes a bite of a sandwich and chews "It's disgusting"

Brie with her mouth full "No it's, um.."

 **"** It's disgusting" Stefan nodded waiting for Brie to agree with him

Brie looks like she's going to be sick "Yeah, I'm gonna puke" Brie spits out the sandwich into a napkin. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but I can't stop thinking about blood"

 **"** I should have saved you first. You shouldn't be going through this right now" Stefan said looking down at the floor with the guilt eating up inside of him.

Brie shakes her head and puts the napkin down "No, if you had saved me, then Matt would be dead. What do you think I'd be going through then?" Stefan pours himself a drink and takes a sip.

Brie gets up and walks over to him. "Stefan, listen to me, you did the right thing. You did what you always do; you respected my choice"

 **"** And what am I supposed to do if Bonnie can't figure out a way to help you, huh? Because then you have another choice to make. Either let yourself die or be a vampire"

 **"** Well then, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" Brie pauses and laughs.

 **"** You're laughing. I'm pretty sure you don't actually think that's funny"

Brie is still laughing "I can't stop though"

 **"** Your emotions are a bit heightened today, a lot heightened" Brie continues to laugh but then she starts to cry. Stefan embraces her. "Hey. Shh, shh. It's okay. It's okay"

 **"** I'm sorry. I..."

Stefan pulls away and caresses her face. "Listen to me. No matter what happens, I'm here for you. I can help you" Brie looks out the window and squints her eyes due to the brightness of the sunlight.

 **"** Why don't you go back upstairs where it's dark? I'll clean up" Brie starts to walk away and shields her eyes from the sun. She walks up the stairs and towards her room. She sees Damon sitting on the window seat.

 **"** I thought you left?" Brie looks down at her clothes, and then hears herself speaking from the bathroom. She looks over at herself. "I'm tired, Damon" Damon gets up and walks over to the memory version of Brie and holds up her old necklace.

 **"** I brought you this"

 **"** I thought that was gone. Thank you" Brie continues to watch the memory unfold. The memory version of herself attempts to take the necklace from Damon but he pulls it back. Suddenly, Damon and memory Brie disappear. Brie gasps and looks around the room, confused. She turns her head and the memory continues.

 **"** I just have to say something"

Brie raised her eyebrow "Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

 **"** Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life"

Brie sighed "Damon, don't go there" She knew what he was going to say but she didn't want to hear it she already made her choice.

 **"** No, I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it. I love you, Brie. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this? I don't deserve you, but my brother does" Damon kisses Brie on the forehead. "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do" Damon compels Brie to forget. The memory ends and the present-day Brie touches her neck and looks down. Brie picks up a photo of her with parents and looks at it for a bit. Suddenly, she hears a commotion downstairs. She walks down the stairs

 **"** Stefan?"

"Brie, don't move" Brie stops on the staircase. Stefan is surrounding by officers and the Pastor. The officers all have their guns pointed towards him. Brie looks at the Pastor and back at Stefan. Brie is in the small house. She is chewing on her fingernails. The Pastor turns the fire on the stove on.

 **"** Why did you bring me here?"

"My deputies can watch out for us here. No vampires have been invited in. Look, Brie, I know it sounds crazy, but years ago it was your parents who were advocating having an emergency plan like this. I never thought we'd have to use it"

Brie can hear the ticking noise of a clock and panics slightly. "Brie? Brie, you okay?"

Brie collects herself. "Where's Stefan?"

 **"** Where he can't hurt you"

 **"** He would never hurt me. You have no idea what you're talking about"

 **"** Well, I know that wherever you go, Salvatore vampires seem to follow. You hungry?" Brie shakes her head and Pastor Young pulls out a tray from the fridge. "So, we'll hold Stefan until Damon comes searching for you two. We'll use Rebekah to lure her siblings back into town. You'll give us the white oak stake and then we will exterminate the entire vampire race for good" Pastor Young places a giant steak in front of Brie and Brie looks at it and starts to breathe heavily. "Is something wrong? Brianna, are you okay?"

Brie looks at Pastor Young's neck. "Yeah" All of the sounds around her intensify and she starts to panic. "No, I've got to get out of here" She gets up and runs out of the house. She runs across the yard, shielding her eyes from the sunlight. Pastor Young follows her outside; he stays on the front porch.

 **"** Get her!" Brie continues to run but is blinded by the sunlight. A man hits her in the face with a wooden object and she blacks out.

In a barn, Brie wakes up on the floor. She looks around her. Vampires are coughing due to the vervain being ventilated through their cages. Brie sits up while holding her head. Rebekah is in the cage across from her, looking at Brie. "I thought I killed you" Brie got up and looked confused "They thought you were a vampire, so they stuck you in here with us"

 **"** Where's Stefan?"

Stefan speaks from the cage adjacent to Brie. They can hear each other but cannot see each other. "Brie, I'm right here. Are you okay?"

 **"** Stefan" Brie tries to pull herself up but is too weak to do so. "I didn't feed" Stefan looks worried.

Rebekah catches on and starts gloating "Ahh, I see what's going on here. You died with vampire blood in your system and you didn't feed and now you're locked up in here without a drop of human blood in sight. That is a problem"

Stefan rolls his eyes at her "Just ignore her"

 **"** Has anyone done the math or shall I? I'd say you've got less than three hours to feed before I get to watch you die all over again" Brie tries to break through the bars. "My day just got a whole lot better"

Brie stops and she's beginning to get paler. "I need blood. I'm dying."

Stefan is worried and Brie is breathing heavily. Stefan pulls himself up off the ground and shouts. "Hey! Anyone, hey!"

 **"** Will you shut up?!" Rebekah shouts as she just sits there watching on.

The officer opens the barn door and walks up to Stefan's cage "You want more vervain? Keep it down"

 **"** Listen to me. Brie's gonna die if you don't let her out of here"

The officer glances at Brie who is in bad shape. He looks back at Stefan. "Sorry, not my problem"

 **"** She's innocent. Let her out" The officer begins to walk away. Stefan rushes towards the other side of the cage and starts shouting "Let her out!" The officer shoots Stefan in the stomach and he falls to the ground and Stefan gets back up and rushes back to the bars. "I said, let her out!" The officer shoots him again, this time in the leg. He leaves the barn. Stefan falls to the ground again. Rebekah watches him.

Stefan drags himself over to the wall dividing him from Elena. He pulls the wooden bullet out of his leg. "Brie You still with me?"

Brie is sitting on the other side of the wall. She has grown even paler and is breathing heavily. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. I'm okay"

 **"** No, you're not. I can hear you breathing. Damon was right, you should have fed this morning. I'm so sorry"

 **"** Don't be. You had hope. That's all I ever wanted you to have and you had it"

 **"** I love you so much"

 **"** Do you know why I was even on that bridge? I was coming back for you, Stefan. I had to choose and I picked you" Stefan starts to cry silent tears. "Because I love you. No matter what happens, it's the best choice I ever made" Brie places her hand against the wall dividing them. "God. It sucks that I can't see you right now"

 **"** I'm smiling" Stefan says with a smile on his face.

Brie is weeping too. **"** Me too" Rebekah looks saddened by the fact that Stefan may lose Brie. Brie takes her hand away from the wall and closes her eyes. The officers come back in carrying more vervain with them. Stefan and Rebekah look at each other and Rebekah nods her head.

"Excuse me? Hello, sir?" Rebekah starts pretending to cough. The officer loads his gun and walks over to her cage. "Here's the thing, my family we – we have money, castles, apartments, jewelry; just name your price and let me out"

The officer gets closer to the cage. "I'd much rather watch you die" Rebekah gets up and rushes towards the bars. The officer is startled and pulls out his gun but he falls back towards the bars of Stefan's cage. Stefan grabs him and slams the officer's head repeatedly against the bars until he starts to bleed. He drops the now dead officer on the floor towards Brie's cage. Brie is still sitting on the ground. She sees the dead officer lying close to her cage.

 **"** Brie. Brie!" Brie sees the blood slowly spreading across the floor. She reaches her hand out and reaches for the blood that is pouring from the wound. She reaches as far as she can, but still cannot get close enough to get any blood. The blood is still running towards her and finally, she can place her fingertips in it. She puts her hand to her mouth and licks the blood off her fingers. She starts to regain the color in her face.

Damon is lying in the grass outside the house, next to Matt who is also lying on the ground. Two officers come around the corner with their guns out. They approach Damon's body. One of the officers gently nudges Damon with his foot. Damon doesn't move. Suddenly, Damon gets up and grabs the guns out of the officers hands. He kills both of them by snapping the neck of one of them and stabbing the other one with his own gun. Damon walks over to Matt who is slowly crawling and coughing and kicks him hard. "Go ahead and kill me. You can't possibly hate me more than I hate myself"

 **"** Oh, yes I can" Damon places his foot on Matt's throat and begins to push down. "It should have been you"

Out of nowhere, someone rushes towards Damon and knocks him off Matt. It's Elena and she is vamped out. "Leave him alone!"

Matt stumbles into the barn and falls to the floor. Stefan runs over to him and feeds him his blood. Matt pushes his arm away and sits up. "Just stop! Stop saving me"

 **"** What the hell is your problem?" Stefan said raising his eyebrow.

 **"** What do you want me to say? Thank you? Cause honestly, I wish you'd have just let me drown, Brie's a vampire...because of me. I have to live with that every day for the rest of my life"

 **"** No, no, no, you don't _have_ to live with that; you _get_ to live with that. Because Brie put your life before her own. So every morning you get out of bed, you sure as hell better earn it" Stefan leaves.


	20. Memorial

Brie and Stefan are sitting on the roof of the house together.

"The whole Council knows who we are now. Everything's about to change"

 **"** Yeah, I'm sure Damon has a revenge plan cooked up" He places his hand on Brie's back. "We'll figure out a way to deal with that"

 **"** You don't have to convince me that everything is gonna be okay"

 **"** I know. Wish I could though. Wish I could just tell you that you'll never feel pain, that you'll never crave blood. But you will. It'll be the worst thing that you've ever lived through"

 **"** But I'll get to live" She puts her arm on Stefan's shoulder "'ll be a friend and I'll be with you. Forever, if I want" They kiss. "I'm going to get through this. Just like we get through everything: one day at a time. We should get inside before sunrise"

 **"** Bonnie made this for you yesterday" Stefan pulls out a daylight ring and shows it to Brie. "Just in case"

 **"** Daylight ring?" Stefan puts the ring on her finger.

 **"** One day at a time, right?" He smiles. Brie nods and smiles too. Brie kisses him and places her forehead against his. She rests her head on his shoulder and they watch the sun begin to rise.

The next morning in the Salvatore House, Brie enters Stefan's room. Damon and Stefan are still staring at each other. "Woah, what's going on?"

 **"** We're just having a little disagreement about process"

 **"** You're still not on board with the animal plan" Brie looks at Damon as Stefan stops the stare down with Damon and goes back to packing the bag.

 **"** Nope. I say rip off the proverbial band-aid and let it bleed. You're a vampire, Brie. Be a vampire. Stefan finishes packing and walks over towards Brie "Ready to go?" Brie nods. They both start to leave.

"Vampires eat people!" Stefan and Brie stop in the doorway and look at him. "It's part of the natural food pyramid. Trust me, you're going to be miserable" Stefan leaves. Brie stands there for a second, then follows Stefan.

As they get to the woods to start training, Stefan is standing behind Brie. He is trying to teach her how to use her super speed.

Brie starts to giggle "I can't do it"

 **"** Alright, it's like the starting line of a race, right? So you just push off with every ounce of strength that you have"

 **"** Yeah, but I was a cheerleader. I sucked at track" Brie stated.

 **"** Just concentrate, okay? You can do it"

Brie crouches into a running position and breathes out. Stefan places his hands around her waist. "I can't. All I can think about is your hands on my body"

 **"** Oh, okay" Stefan takes his hands off from around her waist. She grabs his hands and puts them back around her.

 **"** It feels like you're touching every nerve on my body"

Stefan runs his hand up and down Brie's arm and waist. "Everything is heightened. Taste, smell, sight, touch" Stefan starts to kiss Brie's neck. She has an expression of pleasure on her face. She looks as if she can't help herself then grabs Stefan's face and they begin to kiss passionately. She jumps up and puts her legs around his waist. Stefan super speeds them together into a tree. Brie places herself back down on the ground as they continue to kiss. Stefan unzips Brie's jacket and unbuttons her pants. Brie helps Stefan take off his shirt. Brie kisses his chest then moves back to his lips. They kiss for a while longer, when suddenly Brie stops and pushes Stefan away and breaths heavily. Stefan looking worried grabs hold of her arm but Brie rushes off into the woods, falls to the ground and pukes up the animal blood she drank then grabs her stomach then spits out a little more blood on her clothes and hair.

As Brie gets back to the house she phones Caroline for help but goes straight to voicemail and then leaves a message for Caroline on her phone "Hey, Care, it's me. I'm back, I um- can you call me? I've been having some" She whispers, "adjustment issues" Stefan walks into his room. Brie hangs up her phone. "Hey"

 **"** Hi" Stefan has a bottle of champagne and two glasses in his hands.

 **"** What's that for?" Brie says as she raises her eyebrow and crosses her arms.

 **"** This is from the year you were born. I think we should celebrate you first feed. I know it was disgusting and traumatic and it was horrible, but you did it anyway" Stefan walks over to her with the glasses and champagne. "You survived it"

 **"** Well, um, I wouldn't say I survived it. It actually kind of made me sick"

 **"** Listen, I choked it down for a month before I could stomach the taste. It gets easier" He holds out the champagne "This, on the other hand, will go down like silk"

They both smile. "You're so cheery"

 **"** Yeah, because you're here and you're alive – ish. And you're gonna get through this" Brie nods. "So, would you like to do the honors?"

 **"** Okay" Brie pops out the cork and it flies across the room. She screams and laughs. Stefan laughs with her. The champagne is overflowing. "Oh my gosh"

Stefan pours the champagne into the glasses. They clink them together. "Cheers" they kiss, until Stefan's phone goes off. It's Damon. He answers it. "Perfect timing, Damon. Yeah, we just got back. What?"

The celebration was cut short and Brie goes to Mystic Grill and see's Damon and approaches him at the bar "Did you do it?" She begins to sit down.

 **"** That seat's taken" Damon pointed with his glass of Bourbon.

Brie looked down at the seat where no one was sitting and looked back at Damon **"** But there's no one here"

 **"** Well, I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there, because the alternative is just too damn depressing"

She moves to his other side and sits down. "Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council"

 **"** Am I wearing my "I Blew Up The Council" t-shirt, why does everybody keep asking me that?" Damon says sarcastically and rolls his eyes.

 **"** Did you?" She questions him.

 **"** No. Anything else?" He simply said as he took a sip of his glass.

Brie hesitates. "Yes, something's wrong. I can't keep any of the animal blood down I think I need your help"

Damon sighs "Of course you do. Pick your meal" Damon points to a person sitting out of view. "You've got Asian fusion" He puts somewhere else "Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?"

Brie shakes her head "No. No, no human blood. Stefan's right, I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone" Damon finishes his drink and gets up.

"Fine, come on" Damon grabs Brie's arm and drags her with him. They enter the bathroom together. He closes the door and locks it behind them.

 **"** What are you doing?"

Damon bites his hand. "Giving you what you need. Drink" Damon holds out his bloody hand to her "You're a new vampire, Brie. You need warm blood from the vein. Maybe this will do the trick. Or not. But just, don't tell Stefan"

Brie stares at the blood on his hand. "Why not?"

 **"** Just drink" Brie looks down at his hand and back at him. He nods his head. She grabs his hand in hers and starts to drink. She closes her eyes and lays her head on his shoulder as she continues to drink. Damon strokes Brie's hair. They fall back onto one of the bathroom stalls. Damon closes his eyes, appearing to be pleasured by the fact that Brie is drinking his blood, as he continues to stroke her hair.

Brie is still in the bathroom; cleaning up the blood she puked up. She's on the phone with Damon. "I'm here. I'm here. Where are you?"

 **"** I'm in the basement bathroom" The knob on the door starts rattling and turning. Brie looks at it. "Is that you at the door?"

 **"** Not yet" Connor is on the other side of the door. He knocks on it.

 **"** Sorry, there's someone in here!" Brie shouts and then whispers to Damon "Damon, hurry" Brie turns on the water and continues to clean up the blood on the sink, floor, and toilet. Outside of the bathroom, Damon walks down the stairs with a new dress for Brie to change into. Connor is sitting on a couch outside the bathroom. Damon sees him and stops outside the bathroom door. Brie opens the bathroom door and takes the dress from Damon. "Oh, Damon, thank God" Brie looks out the door at Connor. "Sorry, I – I spilt coffee all over my dress" Connor gets up, looking suspiciously at her. Brie looks at Damon, Damon nods at her and she closes the door to change.

Connor looks at Damon "We have not met. I'm Connor. Jordan" He holds his hand out for Damon to shake.

 **"** Damon. Germaphobe" Damon says and then turns to the door "Everything okay in there?"

 **"** Yeah, just a minute!" Brie places all of the bloody tissues into a bag. Damon and Connor, outside of the bathroom, continue to stare at each other.

Brie comes out of the bathroom wearing new clothes. "I'm so sorry that took so long"

 **"** No problem"

 **"** Well, enjoy your stay. We love visitors and the scenery is to die for" He gasps and puts his hand to his mouth. "Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry" Brie and Damon leave. Up in the balcony, April is trying to write a speech for her father. She is startled by Connor who appears next to her.

 **"** Sorry, you scared me. I was just practicing my speech for later" She gets up. Connor stabs her in the stomach. She gasps. Connor sits her down on the bench. April takes her hand away from her wound and sees it's bloody. Blood begins to drip from her mouth. Outside the church, Brie and Damon are walking across the grounds.

 **"** Did you bring the blood bag?" They go behind a tree together.

 **"** Here." Damon hands her the blood bag. She takes it and rips the top open. She begins to drink it, but starts to feel sick again. She spits the blood out. Damon takes the bag back from her.

 **"** No, I can't, what's wrong with me?" Damon wipes the blood off of Brie's chin.

 **"** You're rejecting the transition you just need to drink from the vein"

 **"** No. No, I don't – I can't risk killing anyone, Damon. Maybe I'm better off dead. Damon grabs her by the shoulders."

 **"** Don't you think like that. Brie, you'll be fine. Okay?"

He gently caresses her face. The church bells ring. "I have to get back inside" Brie walks back towards the church. Stefan shows up and sees Brie walking back inside and Damon picking up the blood bag and putting it away. Damon walks away, Brie quietly walks into the main room of the church. She sits down next to Matt and Jeremy. She is pale. Matt and Jeremy look at her. "You okay?" Brie nods.

 **"** Hey, April was looking for you. She wanted help with her speech" Brie looks around.

 **"** Where is she?" Up in the balcony, Connor is loading a gun. He has April gagged and tied up, leaning against the balcony's wall.

Mayor Lockwood is at the podium, preparing to start the memorial. Stefan sits down, two rows behind Brie "Before we begin the Mass, we'd like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the Town Council. I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad. April? April, are you still here, honey?" Up in the balcony, Connor puts a wooden stake into his gun. "Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor Young?" No one gets up for a moment. Connor, in the balcony, points his gun at various people, getting ready to shoot if one of them reveals themselves to be a vampire. Finally, Brie stands up. Stefan and Caroline appear to be worried. "Come on up, Brie" Connor points his gun at Brie's back. Brie proceeds to walk up to the podium. Damon enters the church; Stefan, Tyler, and Caroline all turn to look at him. Damon dips his hands in a bowl of holy water and touches his forehead, chest, and shoulders in the formation of a cross.

Damon sits down next to Stefan and looks at Brie who has made her way to the podium. **"** She doesn't look so good"

"I uh – when I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak. And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too" Stefan and Damon glance at each other. Brie holds on to the sides of the podium. "The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them" Brie stops. She smells and hears blood dripping from somewhere. Stefan, Tyler, Damon, and Caroline all smell it too.

Caroline looks at Tyler "Do you smell that?"

 **"** Blood" Tyler says keeping his eye on Brie.

Brie starts to breathe heavily. Damon to Caroline, Tyler, Elena, and Stefan via vampire hearing "Nobody move. Don't turn around, it's a trap" A pool of blood has started to form next to April. The blood has seeped through the balcony and starts to drip into the holy water. Brie is still at the podium, trying to fight the urge for blood. "I um..." She breathes in and out, but veins start crawling towards her eyes. Stefan comes up to the podium and wraps his arm around her.

 **"** It's okay, it's okay. I got you, I got you." Stefan leads Brie off the stage and back into the row next to Matt. The priest goes over to the podium. Connor continues to follow Brie with his gun, but points it back at the podium.

"Please turn to page forty two in your hymn book. Let us join together in a song" Everyone in the room stands up and begins to sing. Connor pulls back his gun. Brie leans on Stefan when they finally get back to their seats.

 **"** The blood. Stefan, the blood, I can smell it. There's so much"

 **"** It's alright; just remember what we talked about. Focus, push back, come on you can do this"

 **"** What's wrong with her?" Matt whispers looking concerned for Brie.

 **Stefan** : She's hungry. She hasn't fed.

 **Matt** : So, get her out of here.

 **Stefan** : I can't. There's somebody watching us.

 **Damon** : I'm gonna go rip his head off now.

 **Stefan** : You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us.

 **Damon** : Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off.

 **Elena** : Stefan, I'm losing it.

 **Damon** : You have ten seconds before I go old fashioned on the new guy.

 **Stefan** : Don't do it, Damon. Please.

 **Damon** : Three, two, one. Bye.

Damon starts to get up.]

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Brie, feed from me" Damon and Tyler look at Matt. "It's okay, everyone will think you're upset. Just feed from me" Brie looks up at Stefan to see if he agrees. Stefan looks at Matt and Brie. He lets Matt take Brie in his arms. Connor points his gun down at Brie and Matt. "It's okay. You'll be okay" Brie moves Matt's collar and begins to drink from his neck. Connor still has his gun pointed on them, but only sees Brie "crying" on Matt's shoulder. After a while, Brie stops drinking. Her face goes back to normal.

 **"** Thank you" She pulls away from Matt and Connor lowers his gun. Brie wipes the blood from her mouth and Matt hides the wound. On the other side of the room, Tyler moves past Caroline and up the aisle. Caroline watches him, confused. "The blood. I can still smell it. It's got to be April. We have to help her" Brie tries to leave, but Stefan stops her.

 **"** Brie, we can't risk it."

 **"** Then I'm gonna do it!" Brie continues to try to push past Stefan. Suddenly, Tyler speaks from the podium. They all turn to look at him.

 **"** Excuse me. I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young" Connor recognizes Tyler and points his gun at him.

 **"** What do we do?" Everyone sits back down. Tyler begins to speak.

 **"** Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me. But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team; a community. Of giving yourself up for the sake of..." Connor shoots at Tyler. Tyler spins and falls to the floor. Everybody starts to scream, duck into the aisles, and rush out of the church. Damon makes his way out with the crowd. Caroline makes her way towards Tyler. Carol rushes towards Tyler's side. Brie comes up on the stage as well. Caroline gets down next to Tyler and rips the stake out of his chest. Stefan rushes onto the stage and stands next to Brie. Tyler starts coughing. "I'm gonna kill that bastard"

 **"** Damon's way ahead of you. Stay here, I have to help him"

"I have to call an ambulance the whole town just watched you get shot. I'm calling an ambulance" Carol leaves. Caroline looks up and sees Brie is gone. Outside the church, Connor throws his duffel bags full of weapons in the bed of his pickup truck. He gets in his car and shuts the door. Suddenly, Damon rushes towards the truck and rips the door off. He grabs Connor out and throws him onto the ground. Connor still has his pistol with wooden bullets and shoots Damon multiple times. Damon grabs the gun and throws it aside. Connor rolls Damon over and is now on top of him. He pulls a stake from his belt and is about to stab Damon in the heart, but Damon uses his strength to fight him from doing so. Nearby, Stefan is outside looking for Damon.]

"Damon?" Connor hears Stefan, so he runs to his truck and drives off. Stefan runs towards Damon who is still lying on the ground, moaning. Stefan holds his hand out to Damon. Damon takes it. Stefan starts to pull him up, but stops and punches Damon in the face. Damon falls back to the ground.

 **"** Uhh, what the hell was that for?"

 **"** You know what" Stefan walks away, leaving Damon on the ground.

Back inside the church, Brie is up in the balcony. She spots April, gagged up and bleeding. "April!" Brie rushes over to her, but stops when she sees the blood. She starts to vamp out and rushes towards April to feed off her, but Caroline rushes towards Brie and grabs her.

 **"** She's not dead, but if you feed on her you will kill her!"

 **"** Let go of me!" Brie tries to fight Caroline off and get to April's blood.

 **"** Look at her! Look at her, Brie! It's April. April Young. She's not a warm body for you to feed on. She's your friend" Brie slowly starts to turn back to normal. Caroline releases her. "She's an orphan. Just like you. She's scared. Just like you were" Caroline bites her wrist and feeds April her blood. April gasps. She looks at Caroline.

April starts crying "Please, don't hurt me. Please"

 **"** No one's gonna hurt you. No one's gonna hurt you" Caroline stands up and looks at Brie. "She needs you. You can make her forget all of this"

 **"** No, I – I can't, Caroline. You have to do it"

Caroline shakes her head "No. The only way you're going to learn is if you do it yourself" Brie shakes her head "You can do it you just need to believe what you're telling her. Okay?"

Brie kneels next to April. She gently touches her shoulder. April is still panicking. "April, listen to me" April looks at Brie. "Everything's going to be okay. You're going to get through this. Just like I got through it" Brie begins to compel April. "I'm going to help you. I promise"

 **"** I'm gonna be okay. You're gonna help me"

Brie looks up at Caroline and smiles. Caroline smiles back. "You watched the funeral from up here so that you could grieve alone. It was a beautiful service. People said really nice things" April smiles.

After compelling April, Stefan pours Brie a drink and hands it to her. He pours himself one as well. Brie sniffs the alcohol and groans in disgust.

 **"** It helps with the cravings" Brie drinks it and coughs. Stefan drinks from his glass as well.

Brie could tell something was up with Stefan "You're mad"

 **"** Yeah, I'm mad. You lied to me"

 **"** I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you, you were just so happy that things were going well and"

 **"** You think I'm happy?" Stefan asked just standing there looking at Brie.

Brie looked down at the ground disgusted with herself **"** I just didn't want to ruin it for you"

 **"** You're in hell which means that I'm in hell. Then you go to Damon for help"

Brie starts to cry. "Yeah, because I thought that he would understand" She knew going to Damon was a big mistake but she did regardless and feels awful for it.

 **"** You think I don't? You _fed_ on him, Brie. You fed on him. I know that may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me. And I know it certainly meant a lot to Damon"

 **"** I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, look I'm really, sorry. Why am I crying" she wipes her eyes. "I'm so sick of crying!" She stands up and starts to pace.

 **"** Your emotions are a bit heightened right now"

 **"** I feel like I've been crying since the day that mother died and my dad left. My life it's it's like a never-ending funeral. We keep burying people, Stefan. You want to know what's heightened? This grief, I can't stop feeling everyone's grief" Stefan walks over to her. "All the hurt, I feel like it's trying to explode out of me"

Stefan takes Brie's hands. "Hey, come on. Come with me. There's something we need to do. Come on" They walk away together.

Damon gets out of his car. He walks over towards Bonnie, who is also getting out of her car. Caroline, Stefan, Brie, Elena, Matt, and Jeremy are all sitting at the picnic tables outside of the school. Bonnie and Damon approach them.

 **"** Stefan, what are we doing?"

Stefan has some of the paper lanterns in his hand. "We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier" Stefan hands Brie a lantern. "We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve"

 **"** What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council. We have more important things to be doing right now than this"

 **"** Not tonight, we don't" Damon scoffs. "This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric" Stefan lights the lantern. He hands the lighter to Matt.

 **"** This is for Vicki" Matt lights his lantern. Caroline gets up and takes the lighter from Matt.

"This is for my dad. And Tyler's" She lights her lantern. Jeremy gets up and takes the lighter from Caroline.

Jeremy looks at Elena "This is for our parents" He looks at Matt. "For Vicki. Anna. Jenna. And Alaric" He lights his lantern and looks up at Damon. He tries to hand him the lighter but Damon refuses.

 **"** No way. I'm not doing that" Damon leaves. Jeremy hands the lighter to Bonnie. She takes a lantern out of the box and takes the lighter from Jeremy. She gets up and stands next to Caroline.

 **"** This is for my Grams" Stefan looks at Brie. She gets up and stands next to him. She lights the lantern.

 **"** This um is for my mom, everyone that you've all lost, everyone that this town has lost. And for me, I guess" Brie steps forward and releases her lantern. One at a time, they all begin to release their lanterns as well. They watch them as they float off into the night sky.


	21. The Rager

Brie is leaning against a wall in a small alcove outside of the school when Matt approaches her. "Thank you for doing this. I can't keep anything else down"

Matt smiles at her "It's okay. I kind of owe you my life, remember?"

 **"** Yeah, but I didn't make Stefan save your life so that I could turn you into a human blood bag"

 **"** Brie please, just" He rolls up his sleeve and extends his arm towards her. "Let me do this for you" They stare at each other for a moment. Brie grabs his arm and bites into his wrist so she can feed on him. As soon as she begins to feel the bloodlust take over, she stops and lets go of him. Matt looks down at his wrist. "Was that enough?

Brie wipes the blood off her face "No. But, if I had anymore, I'm afraid I wouldn't stop. Here" Brie takes out a bandage from her purse and applies it to Matt's wrist. "Thank you." Matt nods at her. The bell rings. Brie jumps down onto a table and then to the ground. Matt jumps down beside her. They begin to walk across the school grounds.

 **"** So, you really think school is the best place for you right now?"

The vampire hunter knows that Damon's a vampire _and_ that I know Damon. Hiding at home would be more suspicious. Besides, I want to be here. It's my senior year. I survived this long, there's no way I'm bailing before graduation" Brie sees a pamphlet on the windshield of a car reading "Mandatory Curfew All Ages Commencing 10 PM Until Further Notice" which is issued by the Police Department and picks it up so she can read it.

 **"** Town called for curfew?" Brie asked confused.

Matt nods **"** Tyler got shot in front of half the town. Everyone's a little freaked"

 **"** If only they knew the real story" Brie and Stefan sit down in their desks. Stefan looks at Brie, who is staring at the front of the room, looking like she is about to cry. Stefan looks at the front as well, noticing the chalkboard with Alaric's handwritten notes on it. He sighs, realizing what she must be saddened by.

 **"** It's the first time we've been back in Alaric's classroom.."

 **"** First period, and I'm ready to bawl my eyes out"

Rebekah enters the classroom with flyers. "Morning, everyone"

Brie mutters to herself "Just like that, I'm no longer feeling sentimental"

 **"** So, I'm throwing a little anti-curfew party at my new house. Starts at fifth period and goes 'til whenever. Spread the word" She hands out a couple of the flyers and turns to Brie. You're welcome to join, Brie, if you'd like to bury the hatchet"

She hands Brie a flyer and she takes it. "It's a pretty enormous hatchet"

Rebekah rolls her eyes "Well, I'm feeling generous of spirit"

Brie looks at the flyer "New house, huh? Did your brother finally kick you out?"

"He didn't kick me out, I left" Rebekah corrected her.

 **"** So, you left the only person on earth that actually likes you?

Rebekah looks at Stefan. "Well, your boyfriend liked me once" Stefan looks up at her, clearly not happy to be dragged into it. "Actually, a _lot_ more than once"

Rebekah smirks as Brie looks furious. "Why are you still in town, Rebekah? Don't you have anywhere else to go?"

 **"** Well, history's my favorite class. Actually, where is Mr. Saltzman...?" She pauses dramatically. Brie's rage intensifies. Rebekah smiles"Oh, that's right, I killed him" Brie loses her temper and throws her pencil at Rebekah's face. Rebekah grabs it and throws it back at Brie, which impales her in the shoulder. They glare at each other. Brie removes the pencil from her chest and gets up before anyone else in class notices what just happened. Stefan and Brie walk out into the hallway. Brie is still visibly furious as Stefan gently holds her arm and tries to calm her down.

 **"** Just breathe, just breathe. You haven't felt this kind of rage before"

 **"** I hate her" Brie and Stefan stop walking and stand face-to-face. "I didn't think I was capable of hate, but I hate her, and I hate that I hate her" Brie looks over Stefan's shoulder. "That's the hunter"

Stefan turns around. Connor is in the hallway, talking to a woman. "What the hell is he doing here?" Connor starts to walk towards Jeremy, who is at his locker Brie begins to walk towards Jeremy. Stefan stops her " No, no, no. Hey, hey, let me get this" He shows her bloody hand to her "Okay? I got that" Stefan walks towards Jeremy and Connor. Brie walks into the restroom. She takes off her sweater before grabbing some tissues and rinsing her blood-soaked hands and shoulder with water. After a moment, a girl named Heather walks into the restroom behind Brie with her hand clamped over her neck.

"There you are. Rebekah sent me to see if you were okay" Brie throws away the tissues.

Brie become aggravated "I'm fine, Heather"

 **"** I'm not" Brie turns around and looks at her, confused. She sees blood dripping from Heather's neck underneath her hand. Brie starts to breathe heavily as she tries to resist the girl's blood. Rebekah enters the restroom.

 **"** What's wrong, Brianna? Getting hungry?" Heather removes her hand from her neck, making the blood easier to see and smell.

Brie starts to panic "No, get-get away from me"

Rebekah wipes at the blood from Heather's neck with her finger. "But she's _so_ delicious"

She places her finger with blood on Brie's mouth. Brie slaps her hand away. "You shouldn't be here. This is _my_ school. It's _my_ life. And I'm _not_ gonna let you ruin it!"

 **"** It's my school now. My life. Maybe _you're_ the one who shouldn't be here. And I couldn't help but overhear that there's a vampire hunter roaming the hallways" Rebekah rubs her hand over Heather's bloody neck wound. "How inconvenient for you." Rebekah rubs her bloody hand all over Brie's face. Brie vamps out and growls. "See you in gym. I think it's dodgeball day." Rebekah and Heather leave the bathroom.

Stefan and Caroline are sitting outside at a table while Brie paces back and forth in front of them.

 **"** It was a valiant first day effort. No one will judge you if you want to go home" Caroline says as she watches Brie go back and forth.

 **"** I don't want to go home. I want to take the white oak stake and _kill_ her. That's how mad I am. She made me murderous!"

 **"** How about we just leave the murdering to Damon?" Stefan gets up and walks towards Brie.

 **"** And then do what? _Ignore_ her to death?"

Stefan sighs "Look, she's trying to make herself feel better. She knows that everybody hates her, so she's trying to hate harder. Tell you what, let's just skip the rest of the day. Go have some fun. I feel like this day is severely lacking in fun"

Brie looks at Caroline. Caroline smiles, and Brie reluctantly nods in agreement. "Yeah. Okay, fine" Stefan smiles. "Then, we'll go to her party and show her that she can't intimidate me. I just have to go home and change first." She waves goodbye to Caroline and leaves. Stefan turns around and looks at Caroline.

 **"** Does she seem a little off-balance to you?"

Stefan nods his head "Yeah, she's channeling all her emotions into rage. It makes her feel like she has purpose. I used to do that too when I was...you know. She needs to come to terms with it, confront it, let it in, before she can let it go"

Caroline nods "You're good at this, you know that? You saved my vampire life, now you're saving hers" They start to walk off together. Brie is searching through a set of drawers in Damon's room when Damon returns from being freed from Connor's trap.

 **"** Hope you plan on cleaning this up"

Brie turns around, startled. "I need bourbon to get through Rebekah's party. Yours is better than Stefan's"

 **"** Top drawer in the dresser" Simple as that she thought.

Brie looks confused "Thanks" Brie walks over to the drawer and opens it. Damon pulls out a silver flask from his pocket and swigs from it. Brie turns back around. "You keep alcohol in your underwear drawer?" She pulls out a pair of briefs and holds them up.

 **"** No" Brie throws the briefs back into the drawer. "But, you weren't looking for alcohol, were you?" Brie looks at him guiltily "Do you think I'd _actually_ leave the last remaining white oak stake where any vampire could just walk in and take it?" Damon unbuttons his shirt to get ready to change into clean clothes Brie sees blood from the healed wound caused by arrow in his shoulder.

 **"** What happened to you?" Brie walks over to Damon "You know he was at my school today?"

"Yep. Jeremy told me"

 **"** Why were you talking to Jeremy?"

 **"** Don't worry about it" Damon begins to take his shirt off. Damon has removed his shirt and begins to undo the belt on his pants. Brie looks down awkwardly. "You staying for the show or...?" Damon unbuttons his pants. Brie snaps back to reality and walks out of the room.

Brie is determined to find this stake that Damon has hidden "I'm finding that stake" There are kids outside Rebekah's house, drinking from a keg and having a good time. Brie and Stefan make their way to the entrance of the house and step through the doorway.

 **"** Wow, we didn't have to be invited in. I wonder who used to live here"

 **"** Or who died here" Brie says sarcastically as they stop walking. Brie sees Rebekah and a look of rage spreads across her face.

Stefan see's Brie's rage "You're fixating"

 **"** No, I'm just quietly hating" A boy walks past Stefan and Brie with a cup of beer in his hand. Stefan compels the boy"

 **"** This is mine now" The boy hands Stefan his cup of beer. "Thank you" Stefan hands the drink to Brie "Why don't you have a drink? It'll help you let go"

Brie takes the cup from Stefan. She's about to take a sip when she sees April walking across the room. "April's here. I'm gonna go say hi"

 **"** And I am going to find something a little stronger than beer"

Brie smiles "Okay" Brie and Stefan walk off in opposite directions. Brie walks into the kitchen to find April standing at the island in the center of the room, and walks over to greet her "Hey"

 **"** Brie! Thank God, I know someone"

 **"** I'm glad you came" Brie offers her a drink "Are you thirsty?"

April smiles at her as she takes the cup from Brie and takes a drink. "Mmm, if my dad could see me now"

 **"** How are you doing with everything?" Brie asked with a concern look on her face.

 **"** I'm trudging through my denial phase. Dreaming up conspiracy theories" Brie frowns sadly, and April blurts out her ideas. "My first weekend home from boarding school, my dad smelled cigarette smoke on my clothes before I even walked in the door. He would have noticed a gas leak in the house"

Rebekah walks in and joins them. "Like something wicked this way comes? I know, right? It's like this town's cursed or something"

Brie looked uncomfortable "Hey, April, why don't you go look around the house, and I'll find you in a little bit?"

April looked at her confused "Okay" April leaves the kitchen.

 **"** Did I forget to uninvite you?" Rebekah said crossing her arms.

 **"** Did you blow up her dad's house to get revenge on the Council?" Brie says as she crosses her arms as well.

Rebekah scoffs "I don't give a _damn_ about some dodgy, middle-aged Council. You come into _my_ house, throw around false accusations and then you have the nerve to drink my beer?" Rebekah takes the cup from Brie's hand and smirks as she takes a sip of the beer. Brie hears a sizzling noise and looks down at her hand to see that the sun is burning her. She then notices that her ring is missing.

 **"** My ring!" Rebekah smiles. Brie super-speeds into a dark corner of the room as Rebekah holds up Brie's daylight ring. "Give it back!"

 **"** Get it yourself" Rebekah throws the ring down the drain of the sink.

 **"** No!" Brie moves out of the dark but is yet again burned by the sun. Rebekah turns on the garbage disposal and walks out of the room. Brie takes a deep breath and super-speeds towards the sink before sticking her hand down the drain. Her flesh is burning, but she manages to grab the ring out of the drain and put it back on her finger just in time. Brie is visibly furious and walks over to her bag on the counter top, where she takes out the white oak stake. She starts to leave the kitchen to follow Rebekah, but Stefan suddenly appears right in front of her.

 **"** Damon give that to you?"

 **"** Yes. Reluctantly" Stefan gives her a silent look "Stefan, she's not gonna stop. She's just going to keep pushing and pushing "

Stefan interrupts her "Well, if you want to kill her" Stefan steps aside and gestures towards the hallway "I'm not going to stop you. But see, here's what'll happen: it'll feel good for about ten seconds, and then after that, tens of thousands of vampires all over the world will start to die. Every vampire she ever turned will die. See, rage is a powerful feeling. But guilt? Take it from me, it'll destroy you. So, you can either go after her, or you can get on the back of my motorcycle and we can get the hell out of here" Stefan smiles and holds out his hand. Brie sighs reluctantly and hands him the stake before they both walk out of the house and down into the front yard. Rebekah is standing on the porch when they two pass her on their way out.

Rebekah fake-pouts "Leaving so soon?"

Brie stops and turns around to face Rebekah. "No. Not just yet" Brie looks at Stefan and hands him her bag. "I never got a drink" She looks at Rebekah, smirking, and walks over to the keg. She places her hands on the sides of the keg and does a handstand. Someone sticks the beer hose in her mouth and she starts to drink as everyone around her starts shouting, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" After a few moments, Brie eventually comes back to the ground and wipes beer from her mouth. Brie smiles " _Now_ I'm ready to go" Stefan hands Brie her bag and they walk away together. Rebekah watches them leave, but her vision suddenly starts to blur, which worries her. She walks back into the house and looks in the mirror to see darkened veins start to pulse throughout her face.

Rebekah looks horrified "What the hell?" Stefan and Brie are on Stefan's motorcycle, riding through the country. Brie removes her arms from around Stefan's waist and puts them on his shoulders so she can stand up on the seat. Once her feet are balanced, she lets go of Stefan and spreads her arms out wide so she can revel in the feel of the breeze rushing past her.

In Stefan's bedroom, Brie pushes Stefan down onto his bed and straddles him. They start to kiss passionately. Brie sits back up and looks down at him. Stefan wants to sit up as well to start kissing Brie again, but Brie pushes him back down on the bed. Brie starts to vamp-out. Stefan looks like he's a little worried so he grabs her and vamp-speeds himself on top of her. They start kissing again. Stefan starts to kiss Brie's lips then one side of Brie's neck, then chest, then the other side of her neck. Suddenly, he stops and Brie looks up at him and smiles at him and gives him once last peck and the looks down at her arm and pulls up her sleeve. There are dark red and black marks creeping up her arm. "Stefan. What's wrong with me?" She pulls up her other sleeve. Stefan is worried.

Stefan looked horrified "Damon said the hunter had werewolf venom"

 **"** Oh my God" Both Stefan and Brie look very worried. After a while Brie is lying in Stefan's bed, looking incredibly ill. Stefan is on his phone.

 **"** Come on Klaus, where the hell are you?" Stefan hangs up his phone and sits on the bed, next to Brie. "Hey"

Brie smiles at him. She feels the werewolf venom running through her and shuts her eyes. When she opens them she sees Damon where Stefan once was and looks confused. Klaus enters the room. Stefan gets up and walks towards him.

Stefan looks at him relived "You came"

 **"** I did. And for future reference, one voicemail is just as effective as nine"

Brie moans in discomfort. Klaus looks at her.

 **"** What's wrong, love?" Klaus asks as he examines her.

 **"** She has werewolf venom in her system. You know you're the only one that can heal her, Klaus. _Please"_

 **"** And what would you have done if I were no longer here? Hm? If you and your friends had succeeded in ridding the world of me? Let's play that game for a moment, shall we?"

Stefan angrily steps forward. "Whatever you want from me.."

Klaus smiles at him "I don't want anything from _you_ " Klaus walks over towards Brie and sits on the bed next to her. "Her, on the other hand" He pauses for a moment "If you had told me a few hours ago, I wouldn't have cared a lick about her dying. But, as it turns out" He bites into his wrist "You may be of use to me after all" Klaus places his wrist in her mouth and Brie drinks his blood. "Yes. There we go"


	22. The Five

Brie and Stefan are in the woods continuing their training. She dodges an arrow that Stefan shoots at her. It sticks into the tree behind her instead. "A little slow. I almost got you"

 **"** That's why we're not using the wood ones for hunter defense class" She takes the arrow out of the tree and throws back at him, he dodges it as well. She smiles.

 **"** What about Caroline? She's a genius at self-control" Stefan suggests.

 **"** She's too good. She doesn't understand how hard it is and you, well, I know what being around too much blood does to you, so...I can't put you through that"

He rushes towards her and grabs her from behind, pointing an arrow at her heart. "So I guess that leaves Damon, huh?

She flips Stefan over her and he lands on the ground. She sits down on top of him and places the arrow against his neck. "Don't be jealous. You know I wish it could be you"

 **"** Fine, you wish it could be me" He sits up and she puts her arms around his neck.

 **"** We're crashing Bonnie's trip to Whitmore College. The professor that took over her Grams' classes, he invited her. Listen to me. You are the one who's getting me through this, no matter who teaches me how to feed"

"Okay" He super speeds the two of them into a tree. "Just be careful, okay? The blood, the feed...It's easy to get caught up in it"

 **"** I will. I promise" They place their foreheads together. Outside the college, Damon, Brie, and Bonnie pull up to the front of the school and get out of Damon's car.

Brie turns around to Bonnie "Are you sure that you're okay with this?"

 **"** If I could spell you out of wanting blood, I would, but I can't, so better you learn this now than at freshmen orientation"

Brie looks at the college as the start walking towards it "Something tells me that college isn't in my future anymore"

 **"** Oh, stop with the pity party. If I can go to college, you can go to college" Damon says looking at Brie.

Bonnie stopped and raised her eyebrow at the elder Salvatore "You went to college?"

 **"** Sure, plenty of times. I always had a thing for sorority girls" He smirks.

Bonnie looked at him in disgust "You're disgusting" Brie and Bonnie walk off. Damon follows behind them.

"When I say the word "witch", what pops into your head?" Brie, Bonnie, and Damon enter the classroom where Professor Shane is teaching.

 **"** Halloween costume? Villain of a fairy tale? Maybe an ex-girlfriend? Well, whatever image it is it's probably not" Flips to another slide "Tanyell Soso of Montego, Cameroon"

Brie, Bonnie, and Damon sit down. Brie and Bonnie stare down at Professor Shane.

Shane continues "Now, in reality, or in this reality at least, witches appear to cross every culture in history. They're the architects of the supernatural; responsible for everything that goes bump in the night from ghosts to vampires to doppelgängers"

Damon mumbles so only Bonnie and Brie could hear "What is this guy, Witchapedia?

Brie laughs. "Shhh, shut up" Bonnie gives Damon a glare before turning her attention back to the lecture.

 **"** Now, if you're a skeptic, you'd call that a coincidence. But, if you're a true believer, you know that there's really no such thing. It scares the crap out of us"

Brie whispers to Damon "What if I'm a Ripper?"

 **"** Well, pick someone and we'll find out" Brie looks at him and he raises his eyebrows. Brie starts to look at the other people in the classroom. She looks at a boy in the front of the class. "Stoner guys are no good to grab. They're too paranoid and you don't want the extra buzz" They look further down the row. "Now, she is a fun size, a tutor. Geeky girls are inherently suspicious of anyone who is nice to them. What you want," He places his arm around her shoulder and points at a girl "is the little blonde, pretty girl. Self-absorbed, easily flattered, you just have to separate her from the pack and make your move"

Professor Shane stops as his attention turns towards Brie and Damon who were interrupting his lecture "Am I interrupting you guys? Damon and Brie look at him. "Or is it maybe the other way around?"

 **"** I was just saying how much I love witches." Damon said smirking at Bonnie who just rolled her eyes at him

"Yeah, you and me both, brother. Alright, listen, we should probably talk about the readings that none of you did" Brie looks at Damon and smiles. After the lecture, Damon and Brie are walking across the campus when Bonnie walks up to them.

 **"** Did you talk to the professor?" Brie asked Bonnie.

 **"** For a second. He found some stuff of my Grams' in his office and he's gonna dig it up for me. Oh, uh, this" Bonnie hands Brie a flyer for a fraternity murder house party.]

 **"** Oh, nice, the answer to all of our problems. A frat party: douche central" He rubs his hands together. "Which is why, you'll be eating very well tonight" He smirks. Bonnie looks disgusted. "So, what should we go as? Victims or killers?"

Brie, Damon, and Bonnie walk into the murder party together and are greeted by a college student named Frankie.

 **"** Hey. I'm Frankie, unassuming serial killer"

 **"** I'm Jack" They all take a drink "And these are the two lovely ladies I just...Rippered"

 **"** Welcome to the Murder House, Bloody Marys are free until midnight. Enjoy yourselves" Frankie walks away and they are all looking around.

 **"** Well hats off to these idiots" Takes his hat off and puts it back on. Damon sees Professor Shane. "Oh look, Professor Creepy"

 **"** His name is Professor Shane. And he's not creepy." Makes eye contact with Professor Shane then hands Brie her drink "I'm gonna go talk to him"

 **"** You do that" Bonnie walks towards Professor Shane. Damon and Brie start walking into the party looking at people. Bonnies walks up the stairs to Professor Shane. Brie starts looking for her first victim. She finds a guy who is slipping roofies into a girl's drink. Brie walks over to the roofie guy and bumps him.

 **"** Oh.. I'm sorry...Drink?" Hands him a drink.

"Sure" They smile at each other and Brie walks away.

He starts following Brie "Great party, right?"

 **"** Yea" she throws him against a wall and compels him "You're not gonna make a sound" She bites him and begins to drink.

Damon walks in. "Now remember the idea is not to kill him" She keeps drinking "Brie." She keeps drinking "Step away from the ledge" Whispering "Brie!"

She finally stops and her mouth is dripping with blood and starts compelling roofie guy "Leave and forget about this" He leaves and Brie smiles.

Damon looks impressed "Nice touch. How do you feel?"

Brie wipes her mouth and starts laughing "I feel good" Brie hugs Damon and starts whispering into Damon's ear "I want more"

Brie and Damon go downstairs back to the party and they start dancing with two girls. Damon bites the neck of the girl he's dancing with and drinks from her. Brie continues to dance with her girl and grabs her by the shoulders. She compels her. "Don't scream. This isn't gonna hurt" Brie tilts the girl's head over and bites her neck and drinks. She stops. There is blood dripping down her chin. She lets go of the girl and begins to dance again. Damon sees her from across the room and starts to walk towards her. Brie sees him and smiles. She wraps her arms around his neck and they start to dance together. Brie runs her hand across Damon's neck and licks the blood from off her fingers. Bonnie reenters the room and sees Damon and Brie dancing together. Brie sees Bonnie and starts to come down from her high. Bonnie looks shocked. Brie stops dancing. "Oh my God. Oh my God.

Damon tries to stroke her cheek, but she backs off and walks away towards Bonnie. Damon watches her go. "I've got to get out of here" Brie walks past Bonnie. Bonnie continues to stare at Damon who is still dancing. Brie walks across the lawn outside the fraternity house, wiping the blood off her mouth. Bonnie is following her, close behind. Brie turns to face her. "Who am I? Why am I acting like this?"

 **"** Because you listened to Damon and Damon makes everything he wants sound like a good idea"

 **"** I should be here with Stefan. I shouldn't be here with him. I should be going through all this with Stefan"

Damon clears his throat. He is standing behind Bonnie. "Guessing we should hit the road"

Bonnie strides over to Damon. "You were supposed to help her and you let her get completely out of control."

 **"** She's not out of control. She was having fun" Damon rolls his eyes, he always thought the witch was too serious and should let go a little.

Bonnie shakes her head "This isn't fun. She's acting like a different person"

 **"** She _is_ a different person. She's a vampire. We're a predatory species. We enjoy the hunt, the feed, and the kill. When the guilt gets too bad we switch off our humanity and we revel in it" He looks at Brie.

 **"** Is that what you want? Her to be like you?"

 **"** She already is like me and you know what makes me able to drink my fill and leave someone breathing and not rip their head off like my brother? It's that I can revel in it. I can make it fun" Damon pushes past Bonnie. He looks at Brie as he walks right past her Brie looks traumatized.

Back at the Salvatore's house, Klaus, Rebekah and Stefan are in the Livingroom talking

"Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell him. Tell him what the hunter told you the tattoo leads to. What is this great weapon that could bring about the end of the vampire species?"

 **"** A cure. He said there was a cure"

Klaus gets up and Stefan follows him. "There is no cure for vampirism"

 **"** He's telling the truth, Stefan." Rebekah said still remaining in her seat.

 **"** Then why wouldn't you have searched for it, found it?"

Rebekah gets up as well. Klaus is in the parlor, pouring himself a drink. "Because when the hunters drew their final breath that night, the marks disappeared from their body, the map was gone, the brotherhood of the Five extinct. For nine hundred years, there was not a whisper of another hunter, until our friend in there showed up in town"

 **"** Well, now we have the map, what do we do next?" Rebekah said wanting to know what the plan was since she wanted to find the cure and take it for herself.

 **"** We don't do anything. You can't be trusted, little sister. You'll be blabbing this secret to the first boy who calls you pretty. I mean, it's pathetic, really, isn't it? How she continues to hand her heart to any man who shows her a hint of affection. You'd think she would have learned by now from the endless cycle of disappointment and deception"

 **"** But, I haven't, instead I stayed with you and let you leech every moment of happiness from my life! You know, at least I fared better then Finn, Klaus left him daggered because he was tired of his judgment. You want the cure for Brie, don't you?. That's why you brought Stefan here, because you knew that he'd help you even though he hates your guts! You know what? You can shove your cure" Rebekah walks out of the house. Klaus smirks and turns to face Stefan.

Stefan turns to Klaus "Well, I hope you got what you wanted out of her before you chased her off"

Klaus shakes his head **"** She'd never would have told me what I needed to know, but she'll tell you"

 **"** What do you need me to find out?" Stefan questioned.

 **"** The map is useless without the tool to decipher it"

 **"** The sword."

 **"** She knows where it is. And you're gonna get her to tell you. You have a chance to save Brie from the very thing that is going to destroy her. You can call it a deal with the devil, if you like. But you know you won't walk away from it"

Later, Stefan is pouring himself a drink in the parlor. Rebekah opens the front door and enters the house. She closes the door and walks into the parlor. "I got your message. I'm sorry. I know you wanted my help; he just makes me so angry"

 **"** No one deserves to be treated that way"

 **"** I wanted it back then. The cure. I was willing to leave behind my family for it" Stefan offers her a drink and she takes it. "Would you take it if you had the chance? Or is it just for Brie?"

 **"** A part of me wishes that she and I could have an eternity together. But Damon's right, there's not a single vampire who hasn't killed a human. Brie will kill and then there will be the pain, the guilt, and then.."

 **"** The humanity switch" Rebekah interrupts him.

"But Brie, she's driven by love; by compassion. If she turns off her humanity, then I don't think we'll ever get her back. So, I'd do anything to save her"

 **"** I envy that. You and Brie. I envy the love you have. I really did believe Alex when he said he loved me. He promised we'd be married. We even picked out a church. San Vittore in Brienno. I know you want my help, Stefan. But I just can't do anything that lets my brother get what he wants"

Rebekah takes a sip of her drink and places it down on a table. She starts to walk out. "I never did answer your question" Rebekah stops and turns around. "If it meant that I got to be with her, have children, grow old with her. If it meant that we'd die together, be buried together, then yes. I'd take the cure"

 **"** I buried him. Even after everything. I laid him to rest in the place where we were to be married. What kind of hopeless fool does that?" Rebekah realizes what she said. "Oh, but that's what you wanted to know, isn't it? Because I buried him with his sword"

Klaus walks out from behind them. "I'm sorry, little sister, but you're right" Rebekah turns around and faces Klaus. Klaus has the silver dagger and white oak ash behind his back. He shows it to her. "You really are a hopeless fool."

Klaus dips the dagger in the ash. Rebekah attempts to rush past him, but Stefan stops her. "I'm sorry, Rebekah"

Rebekah looks hurt by Stefan's betrayal. She turns to face Klaus again. "Go right ahead. Laugh at the girl who loved too easily. But I would rather have lived my life than yours, Nik. No one will ever sit around a table telling stories about a man who couldn't love. Do it. Look me in the eye and do it, you coward!"

Klaus avoids Rebekah's eyes. "Do it!" Klaus stabs Rebekah with the dagger. Rebekah starts to desiccate. Stefan covers Rebekah's body, which is lying on the sofa, with a blanket. Klaus comes in the room.

 **"** I have a plane waiting. I'll get the sword. My hybrids will keep an eye on Connor. You put Rebekah somewhere where no one will find her and make sure Jeremy forgets everything he heard today"

He hands Stefan Jeremy's ring. "I'll take care of it"

 **"** No one must know about the cure, do you understand? Not Damon. Not Brie. Nobody. If this gets out, it could mean all our deaths. So, if you tell anyone, I'll erase each memory from the lot of you..."

 **"** I won't say anything"

 **"** It's just you and me in this, Stefan. Some secrets are stronger than family"


	23. The Killer

Brie wakes up in her bed. She gets out of bed and goes to her desk. She grabs her diary. "Dear diary, I know its been a while. A long while. I haven't wanted to write this stuff down, but I don't want to say it out loud either. The thing is: I'm a vampire and I hate it"

Stefan is sitting at his desk, writing in his journal." She's been spiraling since her transition and at times I barely recognize her. But now, for the first time in a while, there's hope"

Brie sits down on her window seat, opens her diary, and begins to write. "I feel hopeless, depressed, angry, but most of all; I'm scared"

Stefan still writes at his desk "Somewhere in the world, there's a cure for vampires. If I can get it, Brie can be human again. I can give her back her life"

Brie continues to write in her diary. "Part of me just wants to end it, but then I think of Caroline, She's my best friend, so I need to find a way through this. No matter what it takes"

Stefan finishes up writing in his journal. "So, that's what I need to do. No matter what Klaus asks, no matter what lies I have to tell or secrets I have to keep, I'll do it. No matter what it takes."

Stefan's phone goes off. He checks it. He has received a text from Klaus saying "We have a problem."

Klaus wanders around an excavation dig site as he chats on the phone with Stefan. There are many people helping to dig up the sword, presumably all compelled by Klaus.

 **"** I'd blame my numbing incompetence, but pointing fingers isn't going to help me, you're going to help me"

 **"** Well, he could be anywhere now"

 **"** Think, Stefan. He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin"

 **"** Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires"

 **"** Which is a pity, as I'm half the world away digging up a dead hunter, you'll have no access to my blood and therefore, the antidote. Nevertheless, his tattoo is our only map to the cure, so your task is quite simple; find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead"

 **"** Damon's been looking everywhere for him, if they cross paths..."

 **"** You'll need to keep Damon in check"

 **"** Be a lot easier if I could just tell him the truth" Stefan rolled his eyes as he's still kept the secret about the cure.

Klaus raised his eyebrow as Stefan wanted to tell Damon **"** You trust Damon with the cure? I imagine he prefers Brie the way she is"

Stefan chuckles as knew what Klaus was trying to do "Nice try, Klaus. But I trust Damon a hell of a lot more than I trust you"

 **"** And I trust no one. Which is why my sister is lying daggered in a box. The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words, tell one soul and I will throw the hunter's sword in the Mediterranean and we can end this quest right now. Am I understood?" Stefan says nothing and hangs up his phone.

In The Forbes House, there's a knock on the bedroom door and Brie opens her bedroom door and Damon walks into her room.

 **"** Excuse me? What are you doing?"

 **"** Where's Stefan?" Damon said checking the bathroom to see if Stefan was there.

 **"** Okay, uh, good morning to you too" Brie said sarcastically as she closes the bedroom door.

 **"** He's not answering his phone and he's not here, which you know, big deal, we've only got a killer vampire hunter on the loose"

 **"** I haven't talked to him yet today"

 **"** Hmm" He walks towards Brie and sticks out his hand. "Give me your phone. Maybe he's dodging me"

Brie starts digging through her purse for her phone. "Why would he be dodging you?"

 **"** Oh, I don't know, maybe the hot, sweaty dance party business" Damon joked as Brie looks up "I figured you spilled your guilty, little guts the minute I left last night" Brie says nothing and continues to search for her phone. "Ohhh, you didn't tell him, did you?"

 **"** No, Damon. I didn't tell him that I got high on blood like some crackhead and then dirty danced with you. It was a mistake, okay? I wasn't myself and besides, he's already got enough to deal with trying to get me through this vampire stuff" Brie hands Damon her phone. He begins to dial Stefan.

 **"** No, I see, it's just a classic shame spiral"

Stefan's phone goes to voicemail "Hey it's Stefan, leave a message"

Damon hangs up and Brie and him both look troubled. "So, either he's dodging both of us"

 **"** Or something's wrong" Brie said as she looked worried.

Connor sends a text to Tyler, Stefan, and Damon which reads "Hunter at Mystic Grill with hostages. They all die at sundown." He places Jeremy's phone down and stabs it with his hunting knife.

"We've got a bigger problem" Damon says as he looks at the text he received. At the Grill, the gang has be rounded up and they are coming up with a plan.

"So, we each take a different entrance; hit them at the same time" Damon says making sure everyone knows what they are doing.

Stefan walks in the room. Brie gets up and walks over to him. "Stefan!"

 **"** Where the hell have you been?" Damon asked looking at his brother suspiciously

Stefan reaches his arm out towards Brie. She embraces him and he embraces her back. "Coming up with a plan"

 **"** Yeah, we have a plan. The plan is I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him"

Stefan shakes his head "That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages"

"Damon's right. Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of us" Brie said agreeing with Damon, which doesn't happen a lot.

 **"** I called in the hybrids to help too" Tyler says as Caroline walks in the room.

 **"** My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go"

Damon smiles "Good, great. No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around"

 **"** All right, hold on, you're not all going" Stefan says as he looks at Caroline and Brie.

 **"** He shot me like nine times. If we're killing him, I want in" Tyler says as he wants revenge on Connor.

Stefan tries to calm everyone down before someone gets put in danger **"** Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into"

Damon raised his eyebrow, since when was it the Stefan show? **"** Until _you_ figure it out? Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?"

 **"** This guy is known for setting traps, right? We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom"

Brie appears to be rethinking the plan. Damon is clearly angry. "Fine. Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we're gonna need some extra help. So, where the hell's the Wicked Witch of the West?"

 **"** She can't do magic" Caroline said trying to remind Damon,

 **"** Really? Well, call her, tell her Jeremy's life is in danger; maybe that will bring her out of retirement" Damon walks out of the room, hitting Stefan with his shoulder on the way out.

Klaus and Stefan are on the phone with each other again. "You expect me to care about bloody hostages?"

Stefan is walking across the Town Square. "Well, you should. Damon does. So does Caroline, Tyler, Brie. If any of them get to Connor, then you just wasted a trip to Italy. I can buy us some time, but Damon's getting antsy. So, if you want Connor alive, you better get your hybrids on board with my plan"

Damon was getting impatient "You know what, she's right. Screw your plan. I'll kill Connor myself" Damon and Brie start to walk towards the door. Stefan rushes at Damon and stabs him in the back with the vervain dart.

 **"** Stefan!" Brie shouted as Damon starts to fade away. Stefan slowly lowers him to the ground. Brie is shocked Stefan lays Damon on the couch. He takes his phone from inside Damon's jacket pocket "Why are you doing this?"

 **"** Damon had the right idea with the tunnels" He opens up the picture of the map on Damon's phone. "But, I'm not gonna go in there if I can't count on him to do it my way"

 **"** If you can't count on him? You just vervained him"

 **"** Do you think he cares about April or Matt? He'll get Jeremy out, but then he'll go right after Connor, no matter who gets hurt"

 **"** Then I'm coming with you" Brie says as moves forward.

Stefan walks towards Brie. "You're not coming with me, Brie. What if Connor attacks and you have to defend yourself? And what if you kill him? The guilt will wreck you"

 **"** You don't think that I'm afraid of that? Of course, I am. Stefan, I'm barely holding it together" Brie says as she starts to break down.

Stefan grabs Elena's face in his hands. "Brie, listen to me, listen to me" Brie calms down "This is the most important thing that I have ever asked you to do. I just need you to trust me. Please" Brie nods. Stefan kisses her. When Brie opens her eyes after their lips part, Stefan has gone.

The phone at the bar rings. Jeremy walks towards it and is about to answer when Connor grabs his wrist. Jeremy pulls his hand away. Connor answers the phone instead. "We're closed"

 **"** I want you to free the hostages" Stefan is walking through the woods with a pick ax and shovel in hand near the stairs that descend into the old Lockwood Cellar.

 **"** I'll free them as soon as you give me what I want. You and everyone like you dead"

 **"** What? So your hunter's mark can grow?" There is a stunned silence from Connor. "Yeah, I know all about that. What it means, what you are" He throws down the tools near the steps of the old Lockwood Cellar. "Listen, if you free the hostages then you and I can have a little chat. I'll even tell you about the Brotherhood of the Five"

Connor scoffs "That's a weak move. You must be desperate"

 **"** Think about it, Connor. Klaus saved your life. He needs you alive. Aren't you the least bit curious why?" Connor slams the phone down on the receiver, breaking it. He shoves the phone off the bar and walks away. Matt and April are in the backroom. Matt looks through the window into the Grill. He quickly moves to a shelf with a tool chest and opens it.

When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me these scary stories about vampires" Matt pulls out some tools and moves to another shelf.

 **"** They're just stories" Matt pulls the shelves away from the wall.

 **"** Not to that man out there. There's something so familiar about him" April thinks about where she's seen Connor from but she had been compelled to forget.

 **"** Look, this is a messed up situation, but the last thing you want to do is buy into that guy's craziness" Matt pulls off a panel on the wall. "You're gonna be fine. We're getting out of here there used to be an exit to the old wine cellar" He looks inside the hidden room. There are bricks over the old entrance. "They bricked it over"

April sighed "So, that's it then? We're screwed"

Matt gets up "No, we're not screwed" Matt grabs a nail and places it against the brick floor. He puts a towel over it and starts to hammer away at the nail. Stefan is walking through the system of tunnels with a shovel. He hears the noise of Matt's hammer against the bricks. He walks towards the noise.

Outside the Grill, Dean approaches the entrance to the Grill. He places his hand up to his ear. "There's no sign of anyone"

Klaus on the other line "Stefan is coming at him from the other side. He'll free the hostages, your job is to get Connor out alive. And use caution, mate. He favors booby traps and ambushes"

 **"** Understood" Dean nods.

Inside the Grill, Connor finishes setting up the werewolf venom bomb. Jeremy sees a stake and slowly walks towards it. "You may be a potential hunter, but if you make one move, I'll break all twenty seven bones in your hand"

 **Jeremy** : They're not all bad, you know. Some of them, they're my friends.

 **Connor** : Your friends, huh? Yeah, I had a friend like that once. She got turned by this vampire I was hunting. He thought it would be ironic.

 **Jeremy** : What happened to her?

 **Connor** : I didn't want to hurt her. She promised that she would keep it under control, but...a vampire's like a loaded gun. Eventually it's gonna go off. [He shows Jeremy his tattoo.] That's why I got this.

[Jeremy looks down at the piece of his tattoo near the crook of his elbow.]

 **Jeremy** : So, you killed your own friend?!

 **Connor** : Listen, if you're gonna be like me, you need to understand. Vampires kill humans, hunters kill vampires.

They hear a noise near the front. "We've got company. Connor turns off the lights and turns on the music very loud. He grabs Jeremy and pushes him down to the floor. Dean opens the front door and carefully inspects the doorway. He looks down and sees a tripwire. He looks right and sees a loaded bomb. He carefully steps over the wire and onto the mat. A light goes off under the mat and the bomb is activated. He closes the door carefully behind him. When he lifts his foot from the mat the bomb goes off. Dean goes flying through the air due to the force of the explosion. Matt and April are still in the back and are startled by the loud noise.

 **"** Oh my God" April starts to back up and runs into Stefan. She turns around and gasps. Stefan covers her mouth and places his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. Outside of the backroom, Dean slowly starts to get up. He is covered in nails, blood, and shards of glass. Connor approaches him with a gun. Dean raises his hands in surrender. Connor shoots the gun and blows a hole clean out of Dean's chest. Dean falls to the ground, dead. In the backroom, Stefan hands Damon's phone with the map on it to Matt.

 **"** Follow this map, get out of here, take her to Caroline so she can..."

 **"** Okay" Matt takes April and starts to walk away. He stops to speak to Stefan again. "Stefan, that guy is armed. If you go out there, he's gonna kill Jeremy"

 **"** No one's killing anyone. Go" April and Matt go out through the panel in the wall. Stefan walks out of the back room. Back in the front of the Grill, Jeremy walks over to Connor. Connor takes off his jacket and sees that the tattoo is growing. Stefan slowly and quietly comes out from the back. Connor sees him and grabs Jeremy. He points his gun towards Stefan. Stefan superspeeds across the Grill behind the bar and Connor shoots the gun at him multiple times but misses. Stefan ducks down and hides behind the bar. Connor pushes Jeremy aside. Jeremy steps on another mat with a switch that activates another bomb. Connor walks around, keeping the gun pointed to where Stefan is. "Connor, you don't have to do this!"

 **"** Stefan!" Stefan hears the noise of the bomb ticking. Jeremy stands completely still as the bombs are right next to him and he's standing on the pressure-sensitive mat that triggers them.

Brie is back at the house and is leaving a panicked voicemail for Stefan. "Stefan, call me! There was an explosion at the Grill. I need to know what's happening! "Brie hears Damon groan from the couch. She hangs up her phone and rushes towards Damon. "Damon, hey. Can you get up?"

"Ohh, where's Stefan? I'm gonna kill him" Damon sits up slowly, but is burned by the rays of sunlight coming through the window. He lies back down. "Ow! Ow!"

 **"** He took your ring? Why would he do that?!" Brie says getting angry.

Damon rolls off the couch and onto the ground. Elena stands up. "Because he's playing us. All this stalling, getting hybrids, taking my ring, add it up" Damon gets up and sits on the arm of the sofa away from the sunlight. "He's either made a deal with Klaus or he's compelled"

 **"** Then I need to get in there" Brie starts to leave.

 **"** No, Brie, this guy is dangerous!" She turns around.

 **"** So am I, Damon!" Damon looks up at her. Brie is extremely angry.

 **"** Then you need to be smart. He doesn't know you're a vampire. You get as close as you can and you kill him"

"Connor, we can end this right now! Just put down the gun and come with me!"

 **"** I don't make deals with vampires!" Connor shouts.

 **"** Listen to me, if you die right now, then your whole life, all that killing; it'll all be for nothing" Brie approaches one of the entrances to the Grill. She pushes her hair behind her ear and listens to Stefan talking to Connor. "I can give you the truth. Just put down the gun and let Jeremy go!" Brie opens the front door and enters the Grill. Connor is still holding the gun towards where Stefan is hiding. He turns his head and sees Brie.

 **"** Please!" He points his gun towards Brie "Don't hurt him.

"You hear that? Your girl is watching. I will shoot the boy right in front of her! On the count of three! One! Two!" Stefan stands up and raises his hands in surrender. Connor points the gun at him instead. Brie rushes at Connor. He shoots his gun and hits Jeremy in the stomach with a bullet. Brie throws Connor to the ground and sits on top of him. She grabs him by the throat and starts choking him. Jeremy is bleeding profusely and clutching his wound. Stefan notices that the bomb is about to go off and he rushes towards Jeremy, grabs him, and throws himself and Jeremy over a table. The bomb explodes. Brie looks up **.** In her moment of panic, Connor manages to rip her hand off his throat and tosses her to the side. He rolls on top of her and grabs her by the hair. He goes in to stake her, but Brie grabs his wrist and fights back. Stefan rushes at Connor and knocks him off Brie. He kneels down next to Connor, grabs him, and rushes off. Brie breathes heavily and gets up. She looks around the Grill, but doesn't see Connor or Stefan anywhere. Later, Brie is feeding her blood to Jeremy. Brie touches his face and looks down at his wound. She sees and smells the blood and her eyes start to become red with hunger. Her eyes go back to normal and she backs away.

Stefan is leading Connor through the tunnel system. He has Connor's arm twisted by his back and pushes him forward. Damon is in the tunnels too.

 **"** Good work, brother"

 **"** It's over, Damon. I have him"

 **"** Not after what I just went through. I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel. But it'll be worth it"

"I'm taking him with me"

 **"** That's the thing, you're not. I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over you, but even if I have to go through you, I'm gonna kill him" Damon moves closer towards Stefan and Connor.

 **"** You better back off, Damon" Stefan warned as Damon got closer.

Damon scoffed **"** Why? Because Klaus wants him alive?"

 **"** This has nothing to do with Klaus. You're just gonna have to trust me on that"

 **"** I don't want to. I don't have to. Not gonna. Now, give him to me, brother" Damon walks faster towards Connor.

 **"** Run as fast as you can!" He pushes Connor away. Connor runs off and Stefan rushes at Damon. He pins Damon to a wall. "You're not gonna kill him" Damon grabs Stefan and superspeeds around him. He throws him against the wall and grabs him by the shoulders, pinning him.

 **"** Why are you protecting him?! Tell me" Damon stabs his fingers just under Stefan's ribcage and moves his hand towards Stefan's heart. Stefan grabs Damon's wrist and tries to fight back. Damon overcomes Stefan and sticks his hand into his chest. Stefan groans. "Tell me"

 **"** Klaus will kill anyone who knows" Damon starts to pull at Stefan's heart. Stefan screams in pain.

 **"** Then it has to be good. Spill it!" Damon continues to tear at Stefan's heart. "Spill it!"

Stefan gives in, the pain was too much "Connor's tattoo is the key to a cure"

 **"** A cure for what?" Damon questioned and he went in deeper.

Stefan is still groaning in pain "For her. For Brie"

Damon raised his eyebrow as he looked shocked "Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?"

 **"** Yeah, and if Connor dies then we'll lose it forever" Damon looks shocked "I know it's crazy, Damon. But it's hope, do you understand me? It's her only hope" Stefan grunts. Damon still has his hand in his chest, but removes it after a couple of seconds. Stefan breathes heavily as Damon still tries to take in the fact that there could be a cure.

In another part of the tunnels, Connor is still running, trying to find a way out. He takes a turn and Brie rushes up to him. She grabs him by the throat and bites his neck. Connor screams. Brie pulls away and looks him dead in the eyes. "Stay the hell away from Jeremy" She lets go of him and Connor falls in front of her on his knees.

 **"** Look at you. So worried about your brother. You're the biggest monster he'll ever meet" Connor stakes Brie.

 **"** You missed" Brie snaps Connor's neck. Connor falls to the ground, dead. She breathes heavily as she stares at the first person she's killed.


	24. We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

Brie is digging dirt up with a shovel near the steps descending into the cellar. She's making a grave for Connor. As she digs, she cries. The blood from Connor still stains her chin. Stefan and Damon walk over to her.

"Brie?" Brie looks over at them. Stefan approaches her and looks down at Connor's lifeless body and Brie looks as well. "I need to bury him. I killed him, I should – I should bury him." She continues to dig, while Stefan and Damon look at each other. Stefan walks towards Brie and grabs her gently. Brie pushes him away. "Don't! I heard you talking to him. Making some secret deal with Klaus? Keep me from this. You said that I could trust you, Stefan"

Stefan looks down, ashamed. Damon saw the look on his brother's face and tries to back him up "Brie, it's complicated"

 **"** No, it's not complicated, Damon! You want to know why? Because he's dead now. You told me to kill him, so I did" Damon looks helpless as Brie starts to cry. "I killed someone. I – I killed someone. Brie cries harder. Damon and Stefan say nothing and just look helplessly at Brie.

Back at the Boarding House Brie was in the shower as Stefan walks into his room. Damon is sitting at Stefan's desk, drinking a bourbon and reading his journal. "How is she?"

 **"** Angry, full of guilt, hasn't said a word to me other than that she wants to be left alone" Stefan looks at what Damon had in his hand "Is that my journal?" Stefan takes the journal off the desk.

 **"** I had to go through six locks to get it" Damon said sarcastically as Stefan walks off and puts the journal back on its shelf.

Stefan turns around to Damon "Thanks for not saying anything to Brie"

 **"** About what? About the cure we don't have, can't find, and probably doesn't exist? You're welcome"

Stefan pours himself a drink. "She doesn't need to know that she killed her chance of being human again"

Stefan takes a drink. "Tell me one thing. Why do you want to cure her?"

 **"** What kind of question is that?" Stefan raises his eyebrow at his brother.

Damon shrugs "A legitimate one. You want to cure her because she's a vampire and she's not cut out to be? Or you can't love her if she is one?"

Stefan sighs "I'll always love her. But she's not supposed to be this person. I don't want her to be"

 **"** Well, if I'm gonna ride this fairy tale to its conclusion, I want to be clear about one thing I'm fine with her either way, brother. So, if I do this, I'm doing it for you" Damon takes one last drink, puts his glass down, and walks out of the room. Stefan stands in his room and takes a drink.

Brie is in the shower. Her blood-stained clothes lie on the floor. In the shower, she has her head placed against the cool tile. She lifts her hands to her face and sees the blood staining them. She moves towards the water and lets the blood wash off of her.

 **"** Dear diary, today I did the thing I was most afraid of. I lost control. I killed someone. I used to think the worst feeling in the world was losing someone you loved, but I was wrong" Brie is sitting at her desk, writing in her diary. "The worst feeling is the moment that you realize that you've lost yourself" As Brie continues to write, blood starts dripping down on her hand. She puts down her pen and touches her nose to see if it's bleeding, but it isn't. She looks down at the floor and sees small pools of blood leading to the bathroom. She follows the trail of blood and opens the door to the bathroom. She flips on the lights and sees the bathroom is splattered in blood. She looks at the mirror and sees the word "KILLER" written in blood on the mirror. She gasps and backs up. She slips on some blood and falls to the ground. When she sits up, she sees that the bathroom is spotless without a drop of blood in sight. She stands up and looks in the mirror. The word KILLER is gone. She looks down at her arms and around the room. Brie is terrified of what is happening to her. Brie lies in her bed. She is breathing hard and can't seem to get to sleep. She gets up and goes to the kitchen. She places a glass of milk in the microwave and warms it up.]

 **"** Can't sleep?" Brie turns around frightened, but sees no one there. The microwave beeps, making Brie jump. She opens the door and takes the cup out. She turns around and sees Connor leaning on the counter. She gasps. "You know it makes sense; guilty conscience"

Brie shakes her head "You're not here. I'm – I've got to be dreaming"

 **"** And how do you know that I'm not here" He starts walking towards Brie and Brie walks backwards, trying to keep distance between them. "Was that the first time that you've taken a human life?"

 **"** You're a ghost. That's gotta be it. You're a ghost, that's what's happening right now. Caroline!" Upstairs Caroline hears Brie call for her and wakes up.

 **"** You're a ghost; you're haunting me. You're a ghost; you're haunting me"

 **"** Can a ghost do this?" Connor grabs Brie in a chokehold and strangles her. Brie thrusts her elbow into his stomach and releases herself from his grasp. She pushes him, sending Connor flying across a table. Connor gets up and starts to walk back towards Brie. Brie grabs a knife and stabs Connor in the neck. She removes the blade from his neck and sees that she has just stabbed Caroline not Connor. Brie drops the knife.

 **"** Oh my god!" Caroline falls to the ground, Brie goes down with her. She is in tears. Brie looks down at Caroline's hand and sees that she is wearing her ring, but this doesn't make her feel any better. **"** No, no. Care! Caroline!" Later in the morning, Caroline is resting in her bed as Brie is pacing in front of her Damon is in the room with her. **"** I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to her?

 **"** You should have called Stefan"

Brie looks angry when she hears Stefan's name **"** I don't want to talk to him. He's been lying to me and hiding things from me I don't trust him right now, Damon" Stefan walks in the house as Brie and Damon look at him.

 **"** Hey"

Damon whispers to Brie "PS, I called Stefan" Brie glares at him.

Stefan walks over to Brie. "What happened? Why did you call me?"

 **"** I just - I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands" Brie walks out of the room. Caroline comes back to life with a dramatic gasp.

 **"** Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asked as he watched her sit up.

 **"** What happened?" Caroline asked groggily.

Stefan walks up the stairs and into Brie's room. Brie is changing into a robe. She sees Stefan but walks past him. "Brie. Hey. Listen, I know you're still upset about yesterday and I get it, believe me, but just let me help you"

 **"** I don't want your help right now, Stefan"

 **"** But you'll accept Damon's?"

Brie turns and looks at Stefan. "Don't make this about Damon. You've been working with Klaus doing God knows what, and don't insult me by trying to deny it"

 **"** Listen, it's not what you think, okay?" Stefan said trying to get his story straight.

Brie wasn't in the mood to speak to him **"** I don't know what to think, but I do know that I don't want to talk to you and I don't really wanna be around you right now" Brie walks past him again. Stefan grabs her arm.

 **"** Please just..." Brie rips her arm out of his grasp.

 **"** No!" Brie shows him her hands. "This is my best friend's blood on my hands, Stefan. I stabbed her in the neck last night. So forgive me if I'm not in the mood to listen to you try to talk your way out of this" Brie walks into the bathroom and shuts the door. Stefan looks hurt. Brie is in the shower. As she cleans herself off, she looks down and sees blood. She gasps and backs up. When she looks up at the shower head there's nothing there. She looks back down and sees blood again; freaked out by this, Brie jumps out of the shower.

Damon is downstairs, cleaning up blood. Stefan enters the room. "Where did Caroline go?"

"To see Tyler, probably to plan another event or maybe she didn't want to linger in a house where her best friend just jammed a knife in her neck.

Stefan's phone rings. "It's Klaus"

 **"** Oooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil" Damon joked.

Stefan answers the phone. "I don't want to talk about it"

Klaus is outside, walking through a neighborhood. "Well, I can't imagine why, what with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future"

 **"** Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy" Stefan looks at Damon as Damon nods.

 **"** Well, life's full of ifs, Stefan. But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of five; we'll find another. It may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?"

 **"** You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan said sarcastically.

 **"** Not you, if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about your beloved. Have the hallucinations started yet?" Stefan and Damon look at each other.

 **"** What do you know about that?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

 **"** I'll tell you. Where are you?" Klaus asked standing outside Brie's house.

 **"** I'm at her house"

 **"** How convenient, so am I" Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan hangs up his phone. Stefan opens the front door and walks outside, past Klaus. Klaus follows him "You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside"

 **"** It's bad enough I'm out here talking to you. What do you know?"

 **"** I killed the original five hunters, remember? When one kills a hunter, there's a bit of a consequence"

 **"** What kind of consequence?" Stefan asked as he crosses his arms.

 **"** The hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires; if you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him I mean, Connor's death won't prevent him from making Brie his final vampire kill. She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up, keep her away from any sharp wooden objects"

 **"** She's not going anywhere with you" Stefan defended

Klaus shrugs his shoulder **"** Well, if we leave her alone, she'll take her own life before the day is out"

 **"** She's stronger than that" Stefan says shaking his head, Klaus was wrong.

 **"** Is she? Believe me, it's for her own good" Klaus smiles.

Brie comes out of the bathroom. She looks in the mirror as she adjusts her sweater and sees Connor standing behind her. She gasps and turns around. Connor touches the blood on his neck and walks towards her. "Would you like some? You seemed to enjoy it when you drink from me"

 **"** I wasn't myself. I was angry"

 **"** Were you yourself when you snapped my neck with your bare hands?"

 **"** You staked me" Brie said trying to defend herself.

 **"** Because you're a monster and you deserve to die. Admit it" Brie walks out of her room. Damon is still downstairs, cleaning up in the kitchen. Brie enters the kitchen.

 **"** Damon..." Brie looks at Damon, but she sees Connor instead. He stands up.

 **"** Decomposition starts in the first twenty four hours. I'm rotting in an unmarked grave because of you"

 **"** No!" Brie backs away.

 **"** What's wrong?" Damon asks as Brie runs to the front door. Damon follows her.

"Brianna!" Klaus and Stefan are still outside. They hear the front door open and Brie runs onto the porch and stops. Klaus super speeds towards her, grabs her, and leaves. Damon walks out onto the porch and sees Stefan standing in the middle of the yard by himself. "Brie!" Damon looks at Stefan. Stefan looks around, worried.

Chris opens the door to a room. Klaus drags Brie into the room. "Let go of me"

 **"** Certainly" Klaus lets her go "I apologize for the lack of windows; it's to preserve the art. And of course, to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun"

 **"** I'm not gonna kill myself. I would never do that" Brie said looking at Klaus as if he was crazy.

 **"** Oh, but you'll want to. I did. Problem is, I'm immortal"

 **"** You went through this?" Brie askes as she crossed her arms.

Klaus nods his head "Yes, I did. For fifty-two years, four months, and nine days. I was tormented, in my dreams, my every waking moment, relentless, never-ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time"

 **"** So, you knew that this would happen if Connor died? That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know too?"

 **"** All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive. You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love"

 **"** What else does Stefan know?" Brie raises her eyebrow, wondering what else her boyfriend was hiding behind her back.

Klaus smiles "Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" Klaus backs away and heads for the door.

 **"** How did you make it stop?" Brie asked wondering how the original stopped his hallucinations.

Klaus stops and looks at her. "I didn't. Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms" Klaus knocks on the door of the chamber. Chris opens the door. "Don't say I didn't warn you" Klaus walks out of the room and Chris shuts the door.

Stefan is talking on the phone to Caroline by the side of the road. His motorcycle is parked beside him. "He's got Brie. I need Tyler to get the other hybrids away, so I can get her out. I know I'm probably asking the impossible but..."

 **"** Actually, you're not" Caroline said as Stefan looks surprised.

As the Connor Hallucinations were gone. Brie saw Katherine sitting down on the chair in front of her smirking and gloating. Katherine gets up and starts Katherine circling around Brie who is sitting in chair, crying. "Don't you ever stop crying? Poor Brianna, always the victim. Except now you're a killer. What does Stefan think of the new you?"

 **"** Shut up!" Brie shouts through her tears.

 **"** The girl he fell in love with is gone, you know. You're like me now, maybe worse"

Brie looks up at Katherine "I made a mistake. I can do better"

 **"** No, you can't. You're a vampire. You'll kill again, it'll change you and it'll keep changing you until you're just like me

Brie gets up and stares down Katherine. "I am nothing like you"

 **"** I was like you before you even existed. And when Stefan knew the real me, he hated me. And now he's gonna hate you too" She turns around and starts to walk away. "But, at least you still have Damon.

 **"** Shut up!" Brie attacks Katherine, but since she's not actually there, she just lands on the bed. She sits up, still crying with her hands on her head.

Katherine is still tormenting Brie in another room. "You were such a good girl when you were human. Always willing to sacrifice yourself for your friends; except weren't they usually the ones that ended up getting hurt?

 **"** I never wanted that" Brie shakes her head. She didn't want her friends to get hurt because of her but they did and it killed her inside.

 **"** Bonnie lost her Grams because of you. Her mom was turned into a vampire because of you. You know, she probably secretly hates you. Did you ever think of that? I bet she'd be relieved if you were gone"

Brie see's the game Katherine is trying to play "I'm not gonna kill myself!"

 **"** Ugh, why not? Your very existence brings people nothing but pain. I mean, maybe it was worth it when you were worth it, but you're nothing now. You're a monster, Brie. You deserve to die" Brie is in tears. She falls back into a chair.

Outside of the room, Chris approaches the two hybrids standing guard at Brie's room. "Klaus said you two have to go to Tyler"

 **"** Why?" Kimberly asked looking suspicious.

 **"** Something about his girl Caroline. I'll take over here" The two hybrids look at each other and walk off. Chris watches them leave. Stefan turns around the corner and walks towards Chris. Chris hands him the keys. Stefan unlocks the door to Brie's room and enters. Brie is sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her legs. She gasps and turns to look at the door.

 **"** Brie. Hey" Stefan walks into the room slowly. Brie starts to back away. She sees Stefan as Connor "Hey, it's okay. It's me"

 **"** No, no" She scrambles off the floor and continues to back away "Stay away from me"

 **"** Let me help you" Brie rushes towards the bed and grabs a lead pipe that is underneath it. She rushes at Stefan. Stefan grabs her by the wrist, preventing her from harming him. "Brie, stop!" Brie throws Stefan against the wall and rushes at him. She stabs him in the stomach with the lead pipe and rushes out of the room. Stefan falls to the floor.

Brie is walking down a street. She is having flashbacks about the night she became a vampire, feeding on people at the frat party, and killing Connor. Connor and Katherine walk on either side of her, tormenting her further. "Are you ready to die yet? You know it's your only way out of this"

 **"** You can't take back what you did. It can never be undone. You're a monster. You deserve to die"

Behind Brie, Damon approaches "Brie" Brie turns and looks at him.

 **"** Damon?" She turned back to see Katherine and Connor were gone. She is upset, but turns back to look at Damon. "You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself"

 **"** Look at you, being all glass is half empty. Let's just go talk about this before you do something stupid, okay?"

Brie turns her head and sees Connor. "The sun will be up soon. It's almost over" She nods and looks back out at the water. The sun is slowly starting to rise. She looks down.

Damon looks at her hand. "Where's your ring?" Brie doesn't answer. "Where's your ring, Brie? We need to get you inside"

Brie looks at him. Connor stands behind her. "It's almost time"

"What you're going through is a curse. We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside"

 **"** Don't let him stop you. I know you want to, but you can't. Don't" Damon looks over at the mountains and sees the sun has inched its way farther up in the sky.

"Damn it, Brie" Damon rushes at her and tries to grab her, but she rushes around him and stays a good distance away. Brie feels the side effects of the curse lift off. Brie breathes heavily. She opens her eyes. Connor has gone. "He's gone" Brie and Damon start to hear a sizzling noise. Brie looks down. Her flesh is burning. Damon looks over and sees the sun has started to rise. He looks back at Brie. Her face is burning now as well. Brie looks at Damon scared "Damon?" Damon rushes at Brie, grabs her, and throws himself and Brie over the bridge and into the water.

Brie wakes up in her bed. She looks at her hand and sees she has her daylight ring back on. She slowly starts to sit up. "Fished it out of the river for you" She turns and looks at him. He is sitting on her window seat. "Little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?"

Brie sits up in her bed "My head's clear. I can remember everything, but not like I lived it, like it was a really bad dream" She pauses, remembering "You saved me. Thank you"

 **"** Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide" He gets up and sits on her bed. "Don't do it"

Brie smiles. "I just can't believe that I almost.."

Damon interrupts her "You weren't yourself"

Brie takes his hand in hers. "Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..." Damon looks down at her hand holding his. She looks down as well. Damon holds her hand up and rubs his thumb in circles over the back of her hand.

Damon sighs "I'm about to take a very high, annoying road and tell you something" He takes his hand away from hers and places it on top of her hand instead of holding it. "Because I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you. Which, yeah, he has, but this rough patch that you two have been going through is not what you think. Everything that he's been doing, he's been doing for you. To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off Wickery Bridge, okay?" Brie laughs. "There may be a way out of this for you, Brie" Brie looks at him, confused. "There may be a cure" Brie is surprised.


	25. Miss Mystic Falls

Stefan is leaning on a pillar outside the house. Brie opens the door and walks over to him. "I'm sorry that I stabbed you"

 **"** Nah, it's all right, I probably deserved it. So, um, Damon told me that he clued you in."

Brie raised her eyebrow **"** You didn't kill him, did you?"

Stefan laughs "Nah, screw Klaus and his secrets" He sits down on the porch's steps. "We all want the same thing, we just have to work together for it"

Brie sits down next to him. "Stefan, why did you send Damon to come look for me instead of you?"

 **"** I sent him because lately it seems like he's able to get through to you in ways that I can't. You'll listen to him. You trust him, even when you can't trust me"

They look at each other for a long time. Brie looks down and finally responds. "You've been so strong for me. Helping me, fighting for that girl that chose you, the girl that I was when I died on the bridge, and I love you so much for wanting to find this cure. Because I'd like nothing more than to get her back, because the girl that she's become, that I've become is different, somehow.

 **"** What you want, or...who you want?"

"I want you Stefan, I am always going to choose you every time. Even when you do keep things from me" She pauses as they both chuckled "Just because we go through a rough patch doesn't mean you send Damon to the rescue because you think I don't want you there, yeah, I'll be mad at you but I still want you there. I love you Stefan and being a Human or a Vampire is not going to change that"

Stefan looks up at her and smiles "I love you too" He leans in and kisses her. Damon looks on as he heard every word Brie said. He looked down wondering what it was about Stefan that girls loved so much. Damon looks up at the couple still kissing and sighs as he vamps away.

The next morning Brie is helping Caroline with the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Brie is arranging flowers in a vase at a table when Elena walks over to her.

 **"** Look, I'm one of your best friends and I would never pick sides, but are you sure that this is what you want? I know Stefan is your soulmate but Damon has definitely taking a liking to you" Brie looks up at her. "Sorry. Picking sides"

 **"** It's not like I don't like Damon, but I can't deny that ever since I turned, my feelings for Stefan have become more intense"

 **"** Yeah, I know. Damon filled me in that he heard every word you said to Stefan last night"

 **"** He did?" Brie looks at her for a second, clearly worried. "Is he okay?"

Elena shakes her head "No, he's heartbroken, I haven't seen Damon this upset"

 **"** Well, what was I supposed to do? Lie to him?" Professor Shane walks down the steps and over to Brie and Elena.

 **"** Excuse me, I'm a little lost. I'm here to interview contestants"

 **"** You're Professor Shane" Brie and Elena look at each other.

 **"** Yeah, that's right. Professor by day; pageant judge by other day. In spite of being absurdly unqualified, I'm apparently awarding a scholarship"

 **"** Uh, inside by the parlor" Shane points up towards the house.

"All right, I'll just follow the scent of hairspray and world domination.

Elena laughs quietly as Shane walks away.

Brie turns and looks at Elena "He's the one who told Damon how to break the hunter's curse"

 **"** He's also the one that has Bonnie so obsessed with practicing magic that she bailed on pageant prep"

 **"** And now he's judging Miss Mystic Falls?" Elena raises her eyebrows. "Jack of all trades or kind of creepy?"

Brie is standing outside the house with her clipboard in hand that Caroline gave to her to take charge as she got a call from Tyler. Three girls walk towards her with flower arrangements.

 **"** Woah, woah, woah, stop, stop!" The girls come to a halt. "Those flowers go in the back as indicated by the floral chart that you guys had plenty of time to memorize" The girls turn around and walk off. "Yeah, thank you"

Brie looks down at her clipboard again. Klaus walks up to her. "Now, how did I know I'd find you at the helm of the ship?"

She looks at him and then back down at her clipboard. "Go away. I'm busy covering for Caroline this is not my thing at all"

 **"** I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow"

Brie looks up from her clipboard again and over at him. "How about a quarter to never? I'm with Stefan remember" She looks away again. Klaus moves closer towards her.

 **"** And I assume you're not taking Stefan. Not after him keeping secrets from you" Klaus looks up at her with puppy dog eyes. Brie finally turns around and looks at him with her full attention.

 **"** Me and Stefan have already spoken about it and I know the reason why" Brie said looking at him.

"I had to keep it between us as anyone could know about the cure" Klaus smiles innocently.

Brie sighs, she had so much to do since Caroline left her in charge, she didn't have time to chat with him even though she didn't want to "If you insist on coming, be here for two pm" She starts to walk away "Black tie optional, god I'm starting to sound like Caroline" She quickly turns around and points at him "And I already have a dress, so don't even _think_ of getting me so much as a corsage, you understand?"

Klaus looks down submissively and nods and Brie walks up the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, Brianna"

April is preparing for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. She holds up two dresses, one red and one blue, for Caroline Brie and Elena to pick from.

"Blue" They all said.

April doesn't look keen on their option "Really? The blue seems a little safe"

Brie nods her head **"** Safe is good when it comes to the judges"

"She's right. Gracie Lockwood had a three-foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court" Brie smiles and laughs at Caroline when Damon walks into the room.

 **"** She got my vote" Brie looks at him and appears to stop breathing.

Caroline throws a black object at him. It hits him in the chest. "Get out, lurker!"

 **"** Ouch" Damon says sarcastically as Caroline walks over to him.

 **"** Where's Professor Shane?"

 **"** Check the judges' table" Caroline starts to close the door on him, but Damon puts his hand up and pushes it back open. Caroline starts to walk back towards Brie.

Damon looks at April "Red one, definitely" Caroline has stopped in the middle of the room, midway between Elena and Damon. She has her arms crossed. "We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy"

She glances at Elena. "It's a pageant. That's the whole point"

Caroline looks at Damon and places her hands on her hips. "Did you win Miss Mystic last year? No. I don't think you did"

 **"** Neither did Elena and she wore blue"

 **"** Nobody cares what you think" Caroline says making a face at Damon as if she cared about his opinion.

 **"** I care" April says smiling innocently.

 **"** See? April cares. Red, right, Brie?" Damon says looking at Brie who ends up looking at Caroline.

"We all agreed on blue Damon" Brie says as Caroline looks at him smugly.

Damon looks at Elena "C'mon Elena back me up on this one"

Caroline glares at Elena. Elena looks at April. "The red is pretty" Caroline's face falls.

Damon smirks. "And my work here is done" Damon walks out of the room. Caroline looks back at Elena.

 **"** Uh, what happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one? What happened to safe is good?" Elena looks at her with a glazed look over her eyes. She shakes her head and turns back to April.

 **"** C'mon Care it is April's decision, whatever one you want to wear, April" Elena walks out of the room. Caroline and Brie watches her leave and turns around and look at each other confused.

 **"** What just happened?" Caroline said as Brie shrugs.

Damon is walking down the stairs. Elena is following right behind him. "Damon" Damon stops at the bottom of the staircase and turns to look at her.

 **"** Still here" There is a moment of silence.

 **"** We need to talk" Elena starts to walk down the remaining stairs towards Damon. Damon and Elena start to walk across the room together. They stop in the middle of the room and face each other. "You didn't tell anyone what happened last night did you?"

Damon scoffs "No Elena I haven't told anyone that we slept together last night, it's not like it's the first time"

Elena looks round the room "Can you keep your voice down, there are vampires upstairs you know"

Damon rolls his eyes "Don't worry Elena no one is going to know, not even Brie"

Elena shrugs her shoulders "I'm not fussed if Brie finds out, she won't care she's in love with Stefan remember" Elena said coldly reminding him of his misery. Damon looks down "Sorry Damon I didn't mean to remind you of that"

Damon shakes his head trying to keep his emotions in "No it's fine, just reminding me that I need to move on"

Elena moves in closer and picks up his tie and plays with it "We'll I'm sure I could help you get over her" Elena winks as Damon stares at her, speechless at this revelation. They stare at each other for a long moment. Professor Shane walks by, but stops when he sees Damon.

 **"** Damon Salvatore. Looks like we travel in the same circuit"

Damon and Elena look over at him. Damon is not pleased that Shane interrupted his moment with Elena. "Professor Shane. Just the guy I wanted to see" Damon walks towards Professor Shane, but looks back at Elena. The two men walk out of the room together, but Damon gives Elena one last look. Elena stands in the middle of the room, alone now. Outside, Damon and Shane walk past the tables set up for the pageant.

Brie is outside, watching Caroline picking up empty champagne glasses from tables. She smiles at the attendees of the pageant and walks angrily over to a bus boy. "Hey, why am I bussing your tables?" She slams the champagne glasses onto his tray. "I said no empty glasses" The bus boy walks off. Caroline strides over to the orchestra. "Will you guys pick up the tempo?!" She snaps her fingers at them. "This is a pageant, not a funeral" She turns around and walks away.

Brie smiles at how obsessive her best friend was being as Klaus walks up to her.

"How do you think am I doing? Brie turns and looks at him and raises her eyebrows as she thought the original looked good in a suit "She'd think you were perfect" Klaus smiles. "Just so beyond annoying for me to as I can't even look at you" Klaus doesn't say anything. Brie eventually looks at him again anyway. "Let's just get today over with" She strides past Klaus.

"Hi, everyone, I'm Caroline Forbes" Brie walks up the lawn to watch the introduction of the girls. Damon stands a few feet away from her and he looks over at her while Elena looks over at Damon looking at Brie. "As the reigning Miss Mystic Falls, it is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic Court" Everyone claps for the girls, including Brie and Damon. They exchange looks and Brie takes a deep breath. Music starts playing for the introduction of the girls. "We begin the procession with Valerie Fell accompanied by Dylan Clark" There is a round of applause for Valerie as she walks down the stone steps. "Next, we have Amber Wolvertine accompanied by Hector Lindsay" Another round of applause is given for Amber. Brie and Elena is clapping when Matt approaches them.

 **"** Have you seen Jeremy?"

 **"** He's probably up there with the escorts" Another girl has been introduced and more applause are heard. She takes the arm of her escort and they walk off together. Elena and Matt look over at the escorts and try to spot Jeremy.

 **"** Yeah, Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts. He's not here" Elena appears to be slightly worried. "Did he tell you about his nightmares?"

 **"** What nightmares?" She looks over at Matt.

 **"** The ones where he kills you" She raises her eyebrows in surprise so does Brie.

 **"** Katherine Wilson accompanied by Eric Hanson" A round of applause is heard for Katherine.

Elena still looks speechless and Brie decides to talk for her "We'll find him"

April starts to descend the stairs. Elena, Brie and Matt look up at her. Elena sighs. "April's about to get abandoned"

 **"** I got this" Matt walks away.

 **"** And finally, we have a last minute entry, April Young accompanied by Jeremy Gilbert" April continues to walk down the steps but stops and looks around for Jeremy. Caroline also looks around for Jeremy but keeps a large smile on her face. Matt walks up to where the escorts were lined up and holds out his arm for April. Everyone applauds and April breathes a sigh of relief. She walks down the remainder of the stairs with a smile and takes Matt's arm.

 **"** Jeremy's running late"

 **"** I guess you'll do" She giggles. Caroline continues to look around, worried, but stops and smiles. April and Matt walk to the dance floor and face each other.

 **"** You lead" April smiles and nods. The girls and their escorts bow to each other and begin the dance. Damon watches them for a moment then looks over at Brie who is helping Elena look around for Jeremy. Elena catches Damon looking at her and she smiles. Damon looks back and watches the dance. Elena stares at him for a moment longer and then walks out of the crowd.

Caroline quickly walks down the steps and over to Elena, who is on her phone. "Hey, what's with the last-minute escort change? Where is Jeremy?"

 **"** I'm calling him right now" Damon walks up to them. "He's not picking up"

 **"** Do the math. Emo teen, open bar, it's fine" Damon shrugs his shoulders.

 **"** Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from me" Caroline looks surprised and worried.

Damon shrugs it off. "Relax, I'm sure he's fine"

 **"** I don't know. I have a bad feeling" Elena said getting worried.

 **"** If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried. Let it go. I'll go look for him" Damon walks away.

 **"** Okay, you go home, I'm going to start asking around here" Caroline suggests.

 **"** Maybe Damon's right. Maybe he grabbed a bottle from the bar and snuck off to the woods"

Brie exchanges a look with Caroline and shakes her head **"** No, Damon is never right. Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?"

 **"** I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me?" Elena says raising her eyebrow.

Brie doesn't hesitate to say the truth **"** Fine, friend-tervention. I think you've got feelings Damon and they are really starting to cloud your judgment and I don't like it"

"Why because you can't have Damon as well along with Stefan" Elena snapped as she thought Brie was being selfish stringing both Stefan and Damon along.

Brie looks at her with disbelief and opens to her mouth but Klaus walks over to them and stands next to Brie. "Easy, love, you're making a scene"

 **"** Wow, Brie, thank you for making this very difficult time so much easier" Elena walks away. Caroline stands there with a blank look on her face.

 **"** How did I become the bad guy?" Klaus moves from standing next to her to standing in front of her.

 **"** Let's get you a drink. I'll tell you all about being the bad guy"

Brie and Klaus are walking next to the pond on the Lockwood property. Klaus is carrying two glasses and a bottle of champagne. "It's just, as her friend, it is my duty to warn her when she's making a giant mistake, right? And now she's taking Damon's side on everything"

 **"** So, being a vampire's changed her?" Klaus questions.

 **"** But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are. It doesn't turn you into a completely different person"

 **"** It's very peculiar" Klaus smirks and looks as if he knows something she doesn't. Brie looks at him.

 **"** What's that look for?" Brie asks as she raises her eyebrow.

 **"** It'll all make sense eventually"

Brie sits down on a stone bench by the pond. Klaus places the champagne down next to her and looks at her Klaus sits next to her and starts to open the champagne bottle.

 **"** Would you ever take it? The cure I mean?" Brie asks.

 **"** Now, why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet? Hm?"

 **"** So there's not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human?"

Klaus looks at her and pops the cork off the champagne bottle. He avoids the question. "Life used to be a lot easier" Brie nodded and looked down at her feet. "Where's Stefan? I thought he was your date?"

"He should be here somewhere?" Brie said looking around seeing if she could see Stefan anywhere.

"Maybe he got side tracked" Klaus shrugged as he took a sip of his glass.

Brie sighs "Yeah maybe"

Klaus sees her looking down and looking a bit upset "What's wrong love?"

Brie looks up at Klaus and shakes her head "It's nothing just forget about it" Klaus looks at her as if he was saying tell me. "This cure, I don't know if I want it"

"Why would anyone? Immortality who wouldn't want that?"

"I guess but I always thought I would have a family as I got older, a husband who loves me and a couple of kids who I could spoil I always wanted that when I was younger, having a family"

"Hate to break it to you love, Stefan can't give you that"

Brie nods "And that's why I don't want to take the cure because all I want is Stefan and I'd rather lose out on what I've always wanted than lose him"

"What if he took it with you?" Klaus looked at her.

"If he took the cure with me, I'd love him more giving me everything I wanted would be amazing but" Brie pauses and shakes her head "I can't be selfish, Damon would lose his brother forever while he lives on and Damon would have no family left and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I was the reason for Damon to be alone"

Klaus smiles and looks down and looks up and admires Brie "Over the many years of me being on this earth, I haven't ever met a person that is more selfless than you, the fact that you put everyone first before your own happiness is pretty unbelievable"

Brie blushes a little "Well you can thank my mother for that" Brie says looking up at the sky raising her glass to her mother who knows that she is watching over her.


	26. Sire Bond

Carol Lockwood and Caroline are standing on the stage. Carol is speaking through the microphone and Caroline is holding an envelope. "And now, the moment you've been waiting for. Caroline, would you do the honors?"

Caroline walks to the mic. Brie stands behind her with the tiara and sash. "This year's Miss Mystic Falls is..." Caroline opens the envelope. "April Young" Everyone in the crowd applauds. April smiles and looks as if she's about to cry. Caroline takes the tiara off the cushion Brie is holding and walks over to April.

Brie looks out into the crowd and sees Jeremy walking in between the people. "Jeremy" Brie looks to see if Elena was in the crowd but couldn't find her.

Caroline places the tiara on April's head. Jeremy walks off, away from the crowd. Brie hands Carol Lockwood the sash and cushion and quickly walks off the stage. Matt also notices Jeremy walking away and Brie going after him. Inside the house, Jeremy is sitting in an empty room. He places one of the stakes and pushes it in to the palm of his hand until it begins to bleed. Brie walks in the room. Jeremy takes the stake away and looks up at her.

"Hey, where have you been? Elena has been worried about you" She sees the stake in his hand. "What are you doing with that?" Jeremy stands up. "Put it down"

 **"** Connor was right. All I can think about is killing vampires"

Brie shakes her head "You're nothing like Connor"

 **"** I want to believe that. And I know I don't want to hurt you, but everything inside of me is telling me to drive this stake through your heart"

She gently grabs his wrist. "Jer, I would never do anything to hurt you" Brie suddenly smells the blood on his hand. She turns it over and sees it. Veins start crawling towards her eyes. Jeremy looks at her. She looks up at him and the veins start to go away. She backs up. "Get – get it away from me" She turns around. Jeremy strides towards her with a stake in his hand. She turns around quickly, grabs his wrist, and throws him to the ground. Realizing what she has just done, she walks over to him and kneels next to him. She starts to shake him.

 **"** Jer, please wake up" Brie continues to panic and shake Jeremy. Suddenly, he opens his eyes and stakes Brie in the neck with the hidden arm cuff stake. Brie gasps and clutches her neck. Jeremy kneels in front of her and raises the stake to finish her off.

Matt walks into the room. "Jeremy, you don't want to do this, okay. It's that stupid mark on your arm" Jeremy ignores him and is still staring down Brie "Jeremy, look at me! I'm human and I'm telling you not to hurt her" Jeremy hesitates for a moment, but looks as if he's still going to stake Brie.

Suddenly, Stefan rushes into the room, grabs Jeremy, and holds him against the wall. "Get him out of here, Matt!"

Stefan pushes Jeremy towards Matt. Matt grabs him and leaves. "Come on. Let's get out of here"

Stefan kneels in front of Brie and she is trying to take the stake out of her neck. "Let me do it" Brie continues to gasp for air. Stefan gently takes her hands off the stake and pulls it out. Brie breathes a sigh of relief and continues to gasp for air. She finally catches her breath. Stefan places his hand on her cheek and looks at her. She looks up at him and clutches his hand in hers. They continue to look at each other. Brie turns around to walk out but Stefan pulls her back.

"Brie wait. It's my fault" Stefan grabs her by the arm and faces her. She stops and looks at him.

 **"** What are you talking about?" Brie looked at him confused.

"I'm starting to think that when a Hunter kills a vampire, the urge to keep killing gets stronger"

 **"** Tell me that Jeremy hasn't been with you this entire time" Stefan says nothing and looks away. "Tell me that you haven't been making him kill vampires, Stefan"

 **"** We need the map to get the cure"

 **"** If getting my humanity back means stripping Jeremy of his, then I don't want the cure"

 **"** He's the only way to fix all of this"

Brie chuckles **"** You mean me. The only way to fix me. You don't have to love me like this. This is who I am now. I already told you, vampire or not I'd still love you no matter, why can't you get that into your brain? If you don't like me like this then let me go" Brie suddenly regretted the last part, she didn't want Stefan to give up on her she just wanted him to love her the way she is. Stefan is clearly upset by Brie's words. Damon approaches them but stops a few feet away from them. Brie and Stefan look over at him. Brie looks back at Stefan and Stefan walks away, hurt by Brie's rejection. Brie watches him go.

It's nighttime. Damon opens the front door. Elena is outside, carrying her luggage. She walks in the house. Stefan walks out of the parlor and they look at each other.

 **"** I can't stay at home anymore" Stefan nods.

 **"** Pick a room. I'll crash somewhere else" Stefan walks out of the house. Elena and Damon watch him leave.

"Why here?" Damon turned to Elena, not looking happy that she's staying under the same roof as her.

"Because Damon my brother wants to kill me and I have nowhere else to stay, don't worry Damon I won't come onto you while I'm here…..or will I" Elena smirked as she walked off upstairs, giving Damon one last look before she was gone into her new room.

After settling in, Elena is sitting on the couch in the parlor. Damon walks over to her and hands her a drink. "Thanks"

Elena takes a drink. Damon sits down next to her. "I was being polite. I thought you hated whiskey"

 **"** My brother wants to kill me"

 **"** Welcome to the club" Damon holds his glass out to her and she clinks her glass against his. They both drink.

 **"** Jeremy can't live with me and Brie and Caroline flat-out admitted that she doesn't like me this way. I think it's safe to say that I'm not so great at this vampire thing"

 **"** You want to know what I think" Elena looks at him. "I don't think I've ever seen you more alive"

They stare at each other for a moment. Elena smiles and laughs. "That dance that they did today kind of reminded me of when..."

 **"** When we danced together" Damon smiles. Elena nods.

 **"** I wanted to dance with you today" She looks up at Damon. Damon places his glass on the coffee table and takes Elena's glass and puts it down as well. He stands up and offers his hand to her. She smiles, takes it, and stands up. Damon leads her over to the front of the fireplace. Damon takes her other hand and lowers one of his to her waist, while Elena places her other hand on his shoulder. They start to dance and they place their heads together. Damon and Elena are intertwined together in a heated make out session. Elena superspeeds Damon into a wall so hard that she knocks a lamp over and breaks it. Elena has Damon pushed against the wall. They continue to kiss and Elena rips Damon's shirt open. Damon super speeds Elena into the wall next to the fireplace and continues to kiss her. He is holding her leg up to his waist and Elena grabs hold to the wall. Damon and Elena are still making out. Elena and Damon are now in Damon's bed with only their undergarments on. Elena is straddling Damon and pushes him down on the bed. She kisses him. Damon then rolls on top of her and kisses down her neck and chest. They kiss each other all over as they make love. It's morning. Damon is lying in bed asleep until he wakes up. He sees that Elena isn't beside him and raises his head, looking around.

 **"** Elena?" Elena is coming out from the bathroom. She has Damon's shirt over her black lingerie. She walks back over to the bed.

 **"** Hey" Elena jumps into bed beside him.

"Thought you might've left"

 **"** No I don't have to be at school for" Elena holds her wrist up and looks at it as if there's a watch, which, of course, there isn't. "At least twenty minutes ago" She and Damon kiss each other and pull away, Damon playing with her hair Elena rolls on top of him and lifts his chin up with her finger as they continue to kiss.

"This is a disaster!" Caroline shouts as she paces around the room.

 **"** Look, we don't know anything for sure" Stefan says as Brie listens in on the conversation and walks in.

"Don't know what for sure?" Brie questioned looking at Caroline and then at Stefan who just looks down.

 **"** Yes we do! Elena is sired to Damon! Which means her one singular burning desire is to make him happy, just like Klaus and his hybrids!"

Brie looks shocked at Caroline's accusation "I'm sorry what have I missed?"

Stefan ignores her "No it's not. A vampire sired to another vampire is one in a million. Maybe it won't affect her the same way"

"We already know it's affecting her. She's become Damon's lapdog" Stefan looks at Caroline "It's true! Everything he says, she agrees with. Everything he asks her to do...she does"

Brie sighs as she doesn't like being ignored "Umm hello, catch me up here"

"Caroline thinks Elena is sired to Damon" Stefan says as Brie just looks at him like are you joking.

"We need to do something" Caroline pulls her phone out and is ready to call Elena.

 **"** Wait, no, hold on Caroline" He stops her from calling her. "This isn't gossip. You can't just drop this on her before we know what's happening for sure"

 **"** I need to talk to Tyler, okay? Maybe he'll know what to do"

 **"** All right talk to Tyler but please don't tell anyone else. If this is true, then it may have influence on Elena's every action and emotion since she became a vampire"

Elena is walking down the hallway. Brie and Caroline are at their lockers and see Elena approaching.

 **"** Elena, hey. Is everything okay?" Brie said giving a look at Caroline for her not to say anything.

Elena nods her head "Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

Brie looks at Caroline again then at Elena **"** Well, Caroline told me you had to move out to stay away from Jeremy"

 **"** Matt is at the house staying with him right now to make sure he keeps all of his hunter stuff in control. He's OK"

 **"** But are you? I mean, clearly, they don't have a flat iron at hotel Salvatore" Caroline giggles.

Elena touches her hair "Oh - I was in a rush. I mean - look, do you girls have any plans tonight? I'm in desperate need of some girl talk" She takes her hair out of the bun it was in. "So, girls' night? We can raid the Salvatore wine cellar"

Caroline looks uncomfortable. "Um, are you sure that Stefan and Damon are cool with us crashing at their place?"

Elena catches the sight of Damon walking in the school, him motioning for her to talk to him. "I can't go home because my brother is trying to kill me. So their place is mine now, too. I'll see you in a bit" Elena walks away to meet Damon with Caroline and Brie looking on.

Stefan is talking over the phone to Brie, who's at school.

"Caroline spoke to Tyler and the sire bond exists because the hybrids are grateful to Klaus for relieving them from the pain of having to wolf out every full moon, and that's why they have to turn until they're not ruled by the pain anymore" She leans against the wall.

 **"** Right, but Elena's not a werewolf so what's the vampire equivalent?"

 **"** Well, that's the problem. There isn't one" He hangs up without saying goodbye. Meanwhile, Damon is in the library, rummaging through old papers. Stefan enters the room.

It's nighttime. Elena has brought a wooden crate into the parlor filled with wine bottles. "One for you" She takes one of the bottles out and hands it to Brie who accepts it. "One for you" She hands another bottle to Caroline who takes it as well.

 **"** I'm assuming this is for Caroline"

Brie holds up a blood bag. Caroline reaches out for it, but Elena grabs it before she can. "Actually, it's for me"

Brie and Caroline exchange a glance, their faces surprised. Elena drinks the blood bag and takes it out her mouth, showing her two friends that she can now keep blood from a blood bag down. "Thanks to Damon, I am now a functional dysfunctional vampire"

Brie and Caroline look at each other before Brie speaks "Uh, what do you mean "thanks to Damon?"

"Well, he suggested that I try it again. So I did and it worked. No more snatch, eat, erase"

 **"** So where is my least-favorite Salvatore?" Caroline said as Elena sits on the couch opposite of Caroline and Brie.

Elena holds up her phone and reads the text message Damon sent her. "Out with Stefan for the night, don't wait up. Brother bonding."

"Hm, so you guys check-in text now? What else do you do?" Caroline said raising her eyebrow.

 **"** I know that you're not the biggest fan, but he kind of just changed my life. Would you mind laying off on all the hate?"

Brie speaks up to break the tension between Elena and Caroline. "OK, new girls' night rule - no boy talk, yeah?

Caroline looks at Brie, who stares back at her straight-faced. "OK, fine! I hereby vow not to be judgmental for the rest of the evening! Even if you two are potentially ruining your lives as I stand idly by, it's your choice"

Elena stands up. "I'll drink to that" Brie and Caroline hold up their wine bottles while Elena touch their glasses with her blood bag. "Cheers"

Elena, Caroline, and Brie start partying. They are dancing and drinking while Brie is capturing it all on her phone. Elena pours another glass of champagne for herself, but realizes the bottle is empty. Elena uses her super speed and goes into the dining room, stands on the table, and grabs another bottle of champagne. Caroline and Brie cheer for her as she super speeds back into the room and pops the cork off the new champagne bottle. She pours herself another glass and the girls all hug each other and fall on the couch. Upstairs, the girls have made their way into Damon's bathroom. Elena is lying in the empty tub and Brie and Caroline are sitting next to her. The three of them are giggling and having a great time.

 **"** Check this out: Vamp-speed video" Brie hands Elena her phone and Elena plays the video.

Elena starts laughing "I look like Superman. Watch this" She pauses the video at the point where she is super speeding back into the room. The capture shows a giant blur behind her due to the speed at which she is running. She shows it to Brie and Caroline "This year's Christmas card" They all laugh. "Oh my God, I love this bathtub. Why don't we come and hang out here more often?"

 **"** I'll tell you why. Cooties. Think of all the germ-ridden skanks that Damon has lured into his den of enequity" Caroline giggles. Elena sits up in the bath tub and does not look amused. Brie also looks unamused by Caroline's attempt at a joke. "Okay, I'm sorry. I've been good all night. I am stopping now"

"No, don't stop on my account. Rip away. I mean, it's only Damon, right?" Elena said sarcastically. **"** So, what exactly was it about him that made you jump right into bed with him as soon as you met him?"

Caroline looked shocked at Elena's judgment "I didn't know what a sociopathic narcissist he was"

 **"** He's always been there for me when I needed him"

 **"** Yeah, because he's hoping you'll sleep with him" Caroline chuckled.

 **"** Well, maybe I did" Elena stated as Caroline slowly stopped laughing and looked at her with a serious look.

Caroline and Brie at her in shock. "You did what?!" Brie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I did. Look, I know you two have issues with him, but I'm happy, and I wanted to spend tonight with my best friends so that I could tell them about it" Elena gets up from the bathtub and walks away, leaving Caroline and Brie in the bathroom, still in shock. Elena is cleaning up the mess from the party in the parlor. Brie and Caroline come downstairs to talk to her. "Party is over. You guys need to leave"

Caroline sighs "Don't be mad, okay? We're just looking out for you"

Elena finally turns around and looks at them. "Do you think it makes me happy that you guys hate him? I get it. His track record has been kind of spotty but I don't hate him. I can't. He's - I think I'm falling in love with him"

 **"** Ugh, you're not falling in love with him, Elena. You're sired to him" Brie and Elena look at her in shock. Caroline knows she shouldn't have revealed this and looks slightly ashamed.

 **"** What are you talking about?"

Caroline walks down the steps towards Elena. "I'm sorry that it came out like that, but it's true. Damon's blood turned you. You couldn't feed from animals or blood bags because he told you so. Then he suggested that you try again with blood bags and suddenly..."

 **"** No. There's no way, I.." Elena stuttered with words still in shock.

 **"** It's not your fault, Elena. Okay, Damon took advantage of you"

"Okay, you need to leave" Elena said angrily as Caroline is shocked and speechless. "Now!" Elena strides past Caroline and Bonnie and walks to the front door. "I said leave" Elena storms up stairs and slams the door behind her. After calming down, Elena walks down the stairs towards the door as Caroline enters the house. They look at each other for a moment and then Caroline hugs Elena tightly.

 **"** I'm sorry!" There is a moment of silence between them as Caroline holds on to Elena. "Okay, if you don't start hugging me back this is gonna get really awkward really fast"

 **"** You've got my hands pinned down"

 **"** Oh" She takes her arms away from around Elena for a second, then wraps them around her again. Elena wraps her arms around Caroline as well and they embrace "I'm a jerk. I promise to never again judge ever"

 **"** Just please don't tell anyone about me and Damon" They stop hugging each other and look at each other.

 **"** Of course" Caroline rubs Elena's arm.

Brie walks in from behind Elena. "You guys friends again? Thank God"

The next morning Brie wakes up in Stefan's bed. She turns on her side and looks at Damon who is sleeping next to her. She gazes at him for a moment before he speaks up.

"This would be so much more fun if we were naked"

 **"** That was your call, not mine" Stefan opens his eyes.

Stefan gets out of the bed and walks over to his dresser as Brie sits up in the bed. Stefan takes his shirt off and takes a fresh shirt out of his drawer and puts it on. Brie gets off the bed and walks over to Stefan "So, what do you want to do?"

Stefan moves closer to Brie so that their faces are merely inches apart. "I wanna throw you back in my bed and never let you leave"

 **"** So do it" Stefan is about to kiss Brie but her cell phone goes off.

 **"** Saved by the cell phone" Brie rolls her eyes and takes out her phone "Elena is going to meet Bonnie. She's teaching Jeremy how not to kill Elena so I guess we have the house for ourselves" Brie smirks as she throws her phone on the bed and jumps on Stefan who lifts her up and start making out.

Stefan pulls away "Hey, listen, I got Klaus to tell me a little bit more about this Hunter's sword. You know that map in Jeremy's tattoo? The sword decodes it. It's literally the key to finding the cure"

Brie sighs and jumps down onto her feet "Klaus told you this?" she crosses her arms.

 **"** Yeah, why?" Stefan said looking at her curiously.

 **"** And did he happen to hand over the sword for safekeeping?"

 **"** Uh, what do you think?" Brie sighs. "What's wrong?"

 **"** We need to get our hands on that sword. Like today. Caroline said Tyler and his hybrids are taking out Klaus tonight, so maybe I can distract Klaus while you find the sword"

"No Brie I don't want you going near Klaus" Stefan said protectively.

"Do you want me to have this cure or not?" Brie questioned as Stefan nodded "Then the sooner you get the sword the closer we get to the cure, right?"

"I guess but.." Brie interrupts him as she puts her hands on his face.

"No buts, get the sword and then get the cure, that's the plan" Brie kisses him "I'll be fine the faster you get the sword the faster I get away from Klaus simple" Brie says as she puts her jacket on.

"Be careful" Stefan warned as Brie smiled and gave her one last kiss before she left.

Outside in the Town Square, children are running around in the fake snow and starting snowball fights. Inside the Grill, Brie is admiring the postmodern snowflake Klaus painted. She seems to notice she is being watched and turns to see Klaus looking at her. He smiles at her and she turns to face him. "Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?"

 **"** Dickens was a dark man. You would have liked him" Klaus walks around the table towards her, but Brie makes her way to the other side of the table so that they are still apart.

 **"** Nice snowflake, by the way"

Klaus raises his eyebrow **"** Is my work really that literal?"

 **"** I'm serious. There's something...lonely about it"

 **"** I'm gonna take that as a compliment. Can I offer you some champagne?" Brie turns around and starts to walk away. Klaus pursues her.

 **"** Can't. Too many adult prying eyes" Brie turns around to face Klaus who has closed the gap between them. "Don't want to be a high school cautionary tale at the next town meeting"

 **"** Well, then it's a good thing the high school part is nearly over" They stare at each other for a brief moment.

 **"** If we're going to be nice to each other, then I will need that glass of champagne"

Klaus smiles and walks closer towards her. "Is that our thing?"

Brie scoffs and rolls her eyes. "We don't have a "thing."

 **"** Allow me" Klaus smiles at her again and walks away to get them some champagne. Brie watches him walk away. When she is positive that he can't see her any longer, she takes out her phone and texts Stefan "He's here. Go."

Stefan rips off the handle from the vault and places it down. He opens up the vault and sees that the sword is no longer there. He seems frustrated. Stefan has apparently called Damon, who is still at the lake house, and they banter with each other over the phone.

 **"** Well, he's not walking around with it. Check the rest of the house"

 **"** I am. I haven't found anything" Stefan said still looking around.

 **"** Try the sock drawer. People leave the sketchiest stuff in sock drawers"

Stefan rolls his eyes "I'm gonna need real ideas, Damon"

In Klaus' family mansion, Stefan decides to continue his search and starts by opening up an old trunk. "Here's two: Kill Tyler before he goes to Klaus or, since Klaus has suddenly become MVP in our relay race for the cure, tell him about the hybrids and he'll kill Tyler"

Stefan picks up a handwritten letter reading "Mon Amour, Les jours passent trop long si loin de toi.", French for "My Love, The days pass too long so far from you." "Nobody's killing Tyler" Stefan picks up a long handwritten letter addressed to "My Love" from "Alphonso" and becomes silent as he reads it.

 **"** Hello? Stefan?" Stefan finally puts the letter down and talks to Damon again. There's a moment of silence between them which Damon breaks quickly. "Gotta go. Bonnie has enlisted Dr. Evil in her plan and I have to thwart him" Damon quickly hangs up his phone. Stefan is leaning against the wall in the alleyway outside the Grill. Brie approaches him and he stands up to face her.

"Hey" Brie says giving him a kiss before pulling away. "Did you find the sword?" Stefan shakes his head and she signs "What are we gonna do now?"

 **"** Klaus is the only shot we have at finding the cure. We need him. Tyler has to call it off"

 **"** Well, that's not gonna happen" Stefan turns around and looks at Tyler who has appeared on the stairway. Tyler walks down the remaining steps towards Brie and Stefan.

Stefan steps forward, closing the gap between him and Tyler. "Look, all I'm asking you for is a little bit of time, okay?"

 **"** How long? An hour? A day? Because every minute that goes by that we don't do this, they're at risk. You and Klaus already served one of them up for Jeremy to kill I don't owe you anything" Tyler turns around and starts to walk away. "I'm taking him out"

Stefan uses his super speed and moves in front of Tyler, frightening him "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that"

 **"** Stefan" Brie says looking at Stefan.

Stefan looks at Brie "I'm sorry but I can't"

 **"** Stefan!" Brie is looking over Stefan's shoulder. Stefan turns around and sees a half dozen of the hybrids standing on the stairs behind him. Brie turns around and sees the remaining hybrids in the alleyway, blocking any means of escape.

 **"** Sorry man, but you don't have a choice" Tyler takes a chain from on top of a box. "Keep them down here until we're ready to bring Klaus in" He drops the chains in front of Kim. "Use these if you have to"

Stefan walks closer to Tyler "Come on, Tyler, this is bigger than you. It's about more than revenge for us"

Tyler closes the gap between them. "I know what it's about for you, Stefan. It's about the cure. You know what happens to a hybrid when he's cured of being a vampire? We go back to being werewolves; turning on every full moon. We could give a rat's ass about the cure" Tyler walks past Stefan.

The hybrids are keeping Brie and Stefan prisoner in the cellar. "Ugh, this is ridiculous. We are not hostages!" Brie said slightly getting annoyed.

 **"** Sure you are, sweetie" Brie glares at her and super speeds to stand right in front of her. Brie and Kim stare each other down. Stefan's phone starts to ring. The other hybrids start to advance on him.

 **"** Relax" They all stop in their tracks. "It's my brother" He answers the phone. "What's up?"

 **"** Don't ask how or why or who, but I just found the answer to your Tyler problem"

Stefan listens to the rest of what Damon has to say which is not heard by us. "You're kidding" Stefan hangs up his phone and looks at Brie "We don't need the sword" Brie subtly raises her eyebrows at this revealing information.


	27. After School Special

Bonnie's phone starts to ring and she picks it up. "Brie, hey"

The shots alternate between Brie in the bathroom and Bonnie at the lake house. "Bonnie, I need you to think fast. I know that the daggers don't work on Klaus but what if we put his essence into Rebekah? It'll work, right? Say it'll work!"

Bonnie gets up and walks off so she can hear Brie better. "Slow down, slow down, what – what's happening?"

 **"** Just, come on, Bonnie. Will it work?"

Hayley looks down at her phone and reads the text Shane has just sent her.

 **"** Yeah, I don't see why not"

Brie sighed in relief **"** Uh, Bonnie Bennett, I love you!"

"Do you need my help? I can leave Elena here with Jeremy"

Brie is clearly angered by the fact that Elena and Damon are still with each other. "You know what? I can't deal with this right now" Brie hangs up on Bonnie. She turns and sees Hayley in front of the door. "She said it would work"

 **"** I gathered. Congratulations"

 **"** Thank you" Brie walks towards the door and Hayley steps aside. Before Brie can open the door, Hayley grabs her from behind and snaps her neck, temporarily killing Brie and falls to the floor.

"My pleasure"

April enters the restroom and tries to open the stall door, but it is jammed. "Oh, sorry" April then seems to worry that something might be wrong in the stall and knocks gently. "Oh, hello, are you okay? Um..." April opens the door of the stall and Brie's body falls to the ground. April backs away in shock. "Oh my gosh!" April kneels down next to her body and shakes her by the shoulders. "Brie!" April places her fingers on her neck, trying to find a pulse, but can't seem to find one. She starts to panic. "Somebody help! Help!" April quickly gets up and frantically tries to leave the bathroom, but Brie finally awakens from the dead and uses her super speed to get in front of the door before April can leave. "Holy crap!"

 **"** Have you seen Hayley?" April turns around and looks down where Brie used to be, clearly confused. Brie acts very nonchalant about the whole thing and takes out her phone to call Stefan. April looks back at Brie.

 **"** You didn't have a pulse. You were dead" Brie glances at her but does not help April calm down by any means. In fact, she was probably about to make it worse. Brie calls Stefan but goes to voicemail.

"Stefan, it's me. That little werewolf slut has lost her mind. Go to the Lockwood Cellar and make sure that Rebekah's body is still there. Hayley is trying to screw this up" Brie hangs up her phone and looks at April with a smile. She walks over to her and gently grabs her shoulders. April looks at her, completely horrified. Brie starts to compel her. "Forget everything you just saw and heard. You are Miss Mystic Falls and you have duties to fulfill"

April was still scared "Okay"

April quickly walks out of the restroom, not looking at Brie as she leaves. Brie breathes a sigh of relief. When Brie walks out of the restroom, Matt intercepts her. "There you are. Stefan's been looking for you. Adrian's leading Klaus to the Cellar"

 **"** How come the only time April Young isn't following you around like a lost puppy is when I'm lying dead with a broken neck?" Brie pulls her phone out and looks down at it.

"April saw you?"

Brie nods her head "Yeah, it's okay, I compelled her"

 **"** No, she's – she's wearing Jeremy's vervain bracelet" Brie looks up at him, horrified. "She can't be compelled"

Hayley is talking to Klaus in the middle of the square, Stefan sees the pair and watches them. Hayley walks off, leaving Klaus alone. Stefan walks up to him. "She doesn't like me much. Where have you been all day?"

"I've been around" Stefan just shrugged.

 **"** I'm not interested in vagary, Stefan. You've been dodgy and Brie's been lovely, which I've come to recognize as a tool of distraction, now, do you have something to share with me or should I compel it out of you?"

 **"** I broke into your safe to look for the sword, I don't trust you Klaus" Stefan turns around and faces him.

 **"** That's why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill where we literally hold their life in our hands and then we rip it away. And we're left with nothing. So, gathering other peoples' letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder that in the end we're left infinitely and utterly alone" Klaus turns and walks off with Adrian as Stefan watches them go.

Brie walks into the parlor where Stefan is sitting on the sofa. "Matt can't find April, Caroline can't reach Tyler, this is a disaster" Brie sits down on the sofa across from Stefan. Stefan remains silent and Brie looks at him. "Is this you in crisis mode? Cause it's a lot more subtle than mine"

 **"** You know I thought I'd be happier watching Klaus get led away to his slaughter, but for some reason I can't help but feel kind of guilty"

Brie nodded understandingly "Yeah, you and me both. All day I've been trying to remind myself of all the horrible things he's done"

"See that's the thing, we've all done horrible things" Stefan gets up and stands next to the sofa, looking at Brie "And I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what makes us any better than him and I think it's just that, we have family we can trust"

Brie rubs her hand on his thigh **"** Yeah, you're right, Stefan trust is everything. Have you heard from Damon?"

Stefan looked up at her "Yeah, he's still with Jeremy at the lake house"

In the town square, Carol Lockwood is leaving a voice message for Tyler. "Tyler, honey, you're supposed to be my sober cab. I think I drank half the party" Carol hangs up her phone and sits down on the edge of a stone fountain. She puts her champagne glass down next to her and takes her shawl off.

Klaus approaches her, his clothes and face blood-spattered "Good evening, Carol. You're looking for Tyler. I'd like to have a word with him myself"

Klaus has a bottle of champagne clutched in one of his hands. Carol looks up at him, terrified. "Klaus, please, don't hurt him. He's my son. He's all I have"

 **"** And you're all he has. There's a beautiful symmetry to that, don't you think? Klaus grabs Carol by the back of the neck. Carol screams, but Klaus dunks her head into the water surrounding the fountain. Carol struggles to fight Klaus off but he continues to hold her head under. Finally, Carol takes her last breath and the life leaves her eyes. Klaus takes his hand off her neck and walks away, leaving Carol's body in the fountain.

It's daytime. A memorial service for Carol Lockwood is underway in the gym of the high school. The students are lighting candles in glass cups as part of the service. Liz is speaking at a podium in front of the stand. "Carol Lockwood always said that togetherness in times of tragedy leads to healing, that one community is stronger than a thousand of its members. But how does a community stay strong after losing its leader? And Carol was so much more than a leader; she was an open-minded friend and a concerned mother, taken from us too soon by a terrible accident"

Tyler is among the students, silent but looking on edge "Screw this"

 **"** What? Tyler? Tyler?" Caroline looks at him as Tyler stands up and leaves the gym.

Liz sees him leave. **"** Please join me in observing a minute silence in her memory"

Everyone puts their heads down for the minute of silence. Brie looks over to the other side of the gym and sees Rebekah. She closes her eyes and looks over again, but finds Rebekah isn't there anymore.

 **"** Are you okay?" Bonnie asked looking up at Brie.

 **"** Be right back" Brie stands up and leaves the gym.

 **"** Thank you so much. In the wake of this tragedy, the town has selected an interim mayor. Many of you may already know him. Please welcome Mr. Rudy Hopkins"

Rudy stands up and walks behind the podium. "Thank you so much, Sheriff. Carol Lockwood put this town first. That's why I'm here to talk to you guys. You folks are the future of Mystic Falls..."

Brie is walking down the hallway and stops when she hears someone crying, she turns around the corner and finds April "April, what's wrong?"

 **"** Nothing. I'm fine" April said wiping her tears but still has her head down.

Brie rubbed April's arm making sure she was okay **"** But you're crying?"

 **"** It's just the whole mayor thing, you know. It's bringing stuff up about my dad" Brie nods. "And I know you're a vampire"

Brie looks shocked. "Wait, what?"

Rebekah comes out of nowhere and snaps Brie's neck. "Was that necessary?"

 **"** No, but it was fun" Rebekah smiles. Brie has awakened and is leaning against a bookshelf in the library. She looks around and then gets up. April walks in.

 **"** What the hell is going on?" Brie said.

 **"** The school will be empty soon...How many times did you compel me?" Brie looks at her. "Don't...don't lie. Rebekah says you lie"

 **"** Rebekah isn't who you think she is, April"

April shrugs her shoulders "What? She's not a thousand-year-old Original vampire?"

 **"** Listen, we can figure this out, but we have to get out of here" Brie pulls April with her, they turn a corner and Rebekah is standing there.

 **"** Sorry, not allowed" Rebekah walks up to Brie and compels her. "Why don't you take a seat? The rest of the class will be here shortly" Rebekah says as she pulls out her phone and calls someone.

Stefan's phone rings; he looks at his phone and it says "Unknown Caller". He answers it irritably. "What?"

Rebekah smiles over the phone "Guess who? I'm back, dagger-free, and I'm holding Brie hostage at the high school. Just thought you should know" She said as she looked down at Brie's lifeless body on the floor.

Stefan stands up at Brie's name "Who the hell was dumb enough to pull that dagger out of you?"

 **"** I'll be asking the questions today. See you soon" Rebekah hangs up, Stefan downs what's left of his drink and calls Caroline.

Caroline answers the phone "I'm only ready to talk to you if you're ready to rejoin civilization"

"How would you like to drive the white oak stake through Rebekah's heart?" Stefan says as he makes his way out the Grill.

Caroline thought for a second "If it means that you're not drinking your way through the Mystic Grill, sure" Caroline is walking down the hallway with the white oak stake in her hand. She looks in a classroom for Rebekah. She texts Stefan "2nd floor clear..." She hears a noise and turns around. Stefan is walking along another hallway and gets her text. He looks in another classroom. He hears a noise and looks towards the end of the hallway and texts Caroline "1st floor. I'll distract her. You stake her." but is interrupted when Rebekah shows up.

 **"** Hello, Stefan"

He puts his phone in his pocket. "I'm here. What do you want?"

 **"** The same thing I wanted when you helped Niklaus dagger me"

 **"** The cure"

Rebekah pushes him against the lockers, Stefan grabs her and pushes her against the lockers. "I hope you're not waiting for Caroline to show up and stake me..." She shows him the stake "Because I already found her"

A few moments later, Rebekah walks into the library with Stefan.

 **"** Stefan..." Brie gets up.

 **"** Did I say you could move?" Brie sits back down "Class is in session. You've all been compelled; you know the rules. Answer my questions honestly, no disobedience, no one leaves. April, my sweet, take notes. This is how you get answers in this town. Let's start with a little quiz. In the year 1114, my brother learnt, thanks to yours truly, about a brotherhood of vampire hunters with tattoos that grew with each kill. These tattoos revealed what, Brie?"

"A map" Brie sighed looking at Stefan who was looking back at her.

Rebekah smiles at Brie then turns her attention to Caroline **"** Which led to...? Caroline?"

 **"** A cure for vampirism"

 **"** Perfect, so we're all caught up. Stefan Salvatore, the last time we saw each other, you had a vampire hunter, but in order to decode the map, you needed the location of the hunter's sword, which you got out of me using some very dirty tricks. Assuming you found the sword, you also found the cure, and yet, you're all still vampires, which means something went wrong"

 **"** You're wasting your time. We don't know anything"

Rebekah didn't look amused "So, you just gave up? I thought you would do anything to save Brie? Even if it meant taking the cure yourself, so you could grow old and die with her?" Brie looks at Stefan with a shocked look on her face.

Caroline groans "What does any of this have to do with the stupid cure?"

Rebekah pointed at the blonde vampire sitting down "You're right. We got off the point. Stefan, how do I find the cure?"

 **"** There's a professor. He knows where the cure is"

Rebekah smiles and then leans down in front of Stefan "Thank you. And, uh, where do I find this professor?"

Bonnie is alone with Shane in his office. "Okay, so now I'm "gifted"? He hates my witch heritage. That's why he travels all the time; he can't handle it. And then, suddenly, he wants to be a protective father? No, not like this. Come on, distract me. Isn't there some magic therapy-thing you haven't shown me yet?"

 **"** Listen, Bonnie, I hate to tell you this-actually, you know what? I take that back. I'm proud to tell you this. You don't need my help anymore. In fact" Shane pulls out a box from a drawer in his desk. He takes out a necklace "I was hoping to present this with a cupcake or something. Happy graduation"

He hands Bonnie the necklace. "It's beautiful" She said looking at the necklace.

 **"** It's human bone, legend says it was worn by the 2000-year-old witch, Qetsiyah, who drew on it for strength. Bonnie, you have come so far so fast. You trust my opinion. Your magic is exactly where it needs to be" Bonnie gives him a confused look "It means I've got a stack of papers that I have to grade by tomorrow"

 **"** I can take a hint" Bonnie stands up. "Thanks, Shane" Bonnie leaves, she walks down the hallway and walks past Kol. She doesn't recognize him at first. He walks past her with a smile on his face. Around the corner, she stops and suddenly realizes who he was. "Oh, my god-Kol!" She rushes to Shane's office to find it empty. "Shane!"

Kol walks in to the library where his sister was keeping, Brie, Caroline and Stefan captive "Sister...Look at this! You're even worse than Klaus"

Rebekah turns around and see's her younger brother standing at the entrance to the library **"** Kol, finally. Did you bring what I asked for?" Kol shoves Shane into the library. "You must be Shane"

Kol shoves Shane into a custodial closet, Rebekah close behind them. "Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson...two members of the Original vampire family. This is such a trip"

Rebekah tries to compel him. "Where's the cure?"

 **"** Compulsion won't work. It's a little trick I picked up in Tibet"

 **"** Right. Well, we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way" Kol smiles "Beat him until he tells you where to find it"

Rebekah walks out of the room, leaving Kol and Shane there. Rebekah walks back to the library where Stefan, Brie and Caroline are sitting at the table "Still glued to your seats? Ahh, it's thick with tension in here" Suddenly Tyler runs through the door "Ah, good, you're here. It was just getting depressing"

Tyler looks around the table then to Caroline "What the hell is going on?"

 **"** Listen to the rules carefully. Stay in the building, no vamp-running in the hallways"

Caroline raises her eyebrow as she looks at Brie and Stefan "Vamp-running from what?"

Rebekah looks Tyler in the eye and compels him "Turn"

 **"** He can't, he'll lose control!" Caroline

Rebekah rolls her eyes **"** That's the whole point. I've exhausted all your knowledge. Now I have the professor to help me find the cure, you're just competition. Whoever finds it first gets to decide what to do with it. Use it, share it, destroy it, save it. I want that to be me"

 **"** But if I turn, I'll kill them"

 **"** Yes, you will, now turn" Rebekah smirks at the others before she walks out.


	28. A View To Kill

Bonnie walks into a science lab. April is there "Bonnie? How did you know everyone was here?"

Bonnie looked confused and looked around the room "Who's everyone? I came to find Shane"

 **"** Did you do a GPS magic locator spell or something?" Bonnie looks shocked "Rebekah told me that you're a witch"

"Rebekah? What the hell is going on?" Bonnie said looking more confused as she thought Rebekah was still in a coffin daggered.

 **"** Rebekah has Stefan, Brie, and Caroline compelled. She's getting them to actually tell the truth for a change" Bonnie walks over to the counter "What?"

 **"** Shane can't be compelled. Okay? She'll happily torture him to find out what he knows" Bonnie is searching for something on the counter "I need salt"

 **"** I think I just saw some" April goes over to the shelf and pulls down a jar of salt. She opens the container and Bonnie pours it into several beakers "What are you doing?"

 **"** If this pendant will connect me to Shane, then I can do a protection spell" April backs up, and Bonnie pulls out the necklace. Bonnie stares at it before clutching it against her chest. She closes her eyes, and moments later, the salt ignites. April looks startled.

Elsewhere in the school, Kol tortures Shane in the custodial closet. "WHERE IS THE CURE?!" Kol shoves Shane's head into a sink filled with water, holding him there for several seconds. Kol yanks Shane's head back up, and Shane gasps for air. "Where is the cure?" Shane is breathing heavily and doesn't reply. Rebekah walks in. Smirking, Kol shoves Shane under again.

In the lab, April beings to cough, and Bonnie stares at her. The shots alternate between Shane being drowned and April coughing. In the closet, Kol yanks Shane up, and Shane is gasping for air. "You're human. Why do you want it anyway?"

 **"** That's the beauty of this. You can have it. I just want Silas.

Kol holds Shane up by his shirt. "No. What do you know about Silas?"

 **"** He's the world's first immortal being, who just happens to be imprisoned with the cure...and I want to free him **"** Kol shoves Shane under the water again.

In the lab, April's coughing worsens and Bonnie notices **"** April?" April grabs her throat, trying to breathe. "What's happening?" Bonnie rushes over to April. Water pours from April's mouth.

"Stop!" Kol brings Shane back up for air. Kol lets go of Shane. In the lab, April stops coughing, and she breathes heavily. Bonnie helps her to her feet. "He's of no use dead"

 **"** Did you not just hear what he said? Silas will kill us all, sister"

Rebekah sighs "Silas does not exist. He is a-a fairytale made up to scare children into eating their vegetables"

Shane corrected her "Silas is very real. I know where he's buried, and soon I will have the spell that wakes him, Silas will raise the dead. He will bring back every last soul who died on his behalf"

Kol picks up a thin metal pipe and drives it through Shane's stomach "No!"

In the lab, April is bleeding where Shane was stabbed. She and Shane are linked from Bonnie's spell. "Oh, my god" The shots alternate between the lab and the closet: Shane falls to the floor. April is dying. Shane appears to die. Bonnie looks up, as if she realizes what she has done.

In the library, Tyler slams into the bookshelf, causing many books to fall. "Agh! I can fight this!" He breathes heavily and falls to the floor. He crawls over to a table and pulls himself up. He grunts as his bones break. Caroline, Brie, and Stefan look at him from a distance. He slams his arms on a table, breaking it "Get out of here!"

Stefan looks at Brie and Caroline "Go-go!"

The three run into the hallway, and Stefan closes the door. Tyler's screams can be heard "That door's not gonna hold him!" Inside the library, Tyler's eyes glow amber, and his fangs emerge. He rams the door open and runs into the hallway after Brie and Stefan. Brie and Stefan close a door, trying to get away from Tyler. Stefan takes the fire axe and sticks it in the door handles. Tyler's growls can be heard as he rams into the door. The door is denting and opening; Stefan and Brie struggle to keep it closed. Brie rips off a locker door and sticks it through the door handles. Stefan and Brie back away from the door and stare at each other. They both charge at the door, banging it shut. It becomes quiet; Tyler is gone.

Bonnie is in the lab, trying to help April who is lying on her back unconscious in a pool of her own blood. "Help! Someone help!"

Brie and Stefan rush into the room and see April's limp body "Bonnie, what's going on?"

 **"** She needs help. I did a protection spell, but it accidentally linked Shane to April"

Stefan is feeding April his blood, and she gasps, petrified. "It's okay, it's okay! You're okay, you're okay" Stefan holds April in his arms, comforting her "Bonnie, get out of the school. Just be careful. Tyler's out there, and he turned" Bonnie helps a still terrified April out of the room. Bonnie stares back at Brie before running out with April.

As Bonnie walks down the corridor with April half concious, her phone rings and it's Elena.

"Where are you?" Elena asks on the other end of the phone.

"At the school why"

"Listen, I have a plan to end all of this. I want Jeremy to kill Kol"

Bonnie stops in her tracks and raises her eyebrow at her best friend "You want Jeremy to kill an original?"

"Think about it. Kol's sire line must stretch to the moon by now. If Jeremy kills Kol, every vampire that he's ever turned, not to mention everyone that they've turned, will die, which means the hunter's mark will be complete and we'll have our key to finding the cure"

Bonnie looks at April who is groggy "I'm on my way, we'll figure it out" Bonnie hangs up. She is about to continue walking, when Kol arrives suddenly and pushes her against the wall, restraining her with a hand over her neck.

 **"** No one can find the cure if you're too dead to find it" Kol vamps out and is about to attack Bonnie when she uses her magic to break the bones in his hand and body. She starts to lose control, Bonnie, alarmed, runs off. Kol is walking down a street listening to music on his phone when it rings. He answers it.

 **"** Jeremy Gilbert. Nice to see I'm still on your speed dial, mate. Hey, you want to meet up at the batting cages in Denver?"

 **"** Actually, it's Elena Gilbert"

Kol smiles at Elena's voice "What a treat, I was just thinking of all the clever ways I could have your brother killed, but I'd settle for ripping off his illustrated arm instead"

 **"** I need to talk to you – in person" In the background, Matt and Jeremy are preparing weapons "I wanna call a truce, in the name of Silas"

Kol stops walking. "You want to talk about Silas?" The doorbell rings. Everyone turns in surprise. Jeremy cocks his gun and points it at the door. Kol is outside "If you want a truce, open the door and invite me in" Elena is slightly flustered by the unexpected turn of events and looks around for her next move. "I'm waiting. Let me in and let's talk truce"

 **"** Wouldn't that be kind of stupid to invite you in?" Elena says as she writes on a black board, a message for Jeremy.

 **"** On the contrary, I can't kill your brother with my own two hands, or I'll suffer the hunter's curse and spend the next 20 years trying to off myself in gruesome ways and I've heard that vervain's back in town, so I can't compel you to kill him either. So I think it's fair to say you're semi-safe, for now"

Elena had written a message for Jeremy. She shows it to him: "Get out. Get Bonnie"

Jeremy whispers to Elena "I'm the only one that can invite him inside"

Elena goes and opens the door for Kol. "You'd think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by"

 **"** If I let you in, my brother goes. You're not getting near him" Elena looks back at Jeremy and nods. Jeremy nods.

 **"** You can come in" Jeremy says before leaving through the back door.

Kol puts his phone and earphones in his pocket, and it gives Elena a view of the white oak stake, which is stashed in an inside pocket of Kol's jacket. "So... this is the part where you offer me a drink so we can have a proper chat"

Elena nods and makes way for Kol, then closes the door.

Kol is drinking and leaning against the sofa.

 **"** Nobody else seems to think Silas exists, so why do you?" Elena asked curiously.

Kol puts down his drink on the table and then looks up at Elena who was standing a distance away from her **"** I used to run with some witches. Africa in the fourteenth century, Haiti in the seventeenth century, New Orleans in the nineteen hundreds. They all knew about Silas; that he needed to stay buried. I actually hold witches in high esteem"

 **"** Yeah, but why Silas? Why are you so afraid of him?"

 **"** They said if Silas rises, he'll unleash hell on Earth. I happen to like Earth just the way it is. It just seems odd that you'd be so willing to give up something you want so much"

 **"** I would do anything for my brother. And if what you're saying about Silas is true, what does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger?"

 **"** Well, this has been enlightening. Thanks for the drinks" Elena starts to panic as Kol moves to leave. She takes a step towards him as he opens the door but he looks back at her "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement"

 **"** Is there any chance that you could be wrong about Silas?"

 **"** Trust me, Elena. Some things are better left buried" Kol leaves as Elena sighs.

Jeremy walks in cautiously, holding up a gun loaded with wooden bullets. He closes the door and hears a noise. He's ready to shoot, but stops when he sees it's Elena. "I'm sorry. He left. I mean, I – I tried to stall as long as I could"

The doorbell rings. "That's Bonnie"

Elena goes to open the door, but it's Kol "I've considered your request for a truce. Request denied" Elena slams the door in his face. "I'm sorry. I've already been invited in!" He kicks the door open and walks in; Elena and Jeremy are gone "Hide and seek? Fine by me"

Kol starts walking and Elena is at the top of the staircase with a crossbow and she shoots Kol in the leg. He groans in pain. She disappears upstairs with vampire speed. Kol pulls the arrow out of his leg and goes after her. Elena is in her bedroom. She pushes her dresser in front of her door, but struggles as Kol pushes back. Kol manages to shove the door open and Elena falls to the ground. With vampire speed she runs into the bathroom, shuts the doors behind her and locks it. Kol kicks open the door and finds Elena gone. He punches through the other door and finds Elena in Jeremy's room with Jeremy. Jeremy shoots Kol with a stake gun. Kol catches the stake "Missed!"

Jeremy shoots again, and Kol catches it with his other hand. Elena fires a pistol at him, shooting him multiple times. Jeremy runs, and she continues shooting Kol. Kol throws one of the stakes, hitting Elena in the thigh, and she cries out. Elena looks up, but Kol is gone. Jeremy is running through the hallway when Kol appears and punches him. Back in Jeremy's room, Elena pulls the stake out of her leg. Kol throws Jeremy down the stairs, and Jeremy groans in pain. Elena jumps on Kol's back, but he tosses her against the wall. He rips out one of the posts from the railing and impales Elena through the abdomen, pinning her to the wall. She gasps in shock and pain, completely immobilized. Kol walks over to Jeremy, who is still grunting in pain on the stair landing.

 **"** Now about that arm" Kol drags Jeremy down the stairs by his feet. Elena pulls feebly at the stake, but can't move it an inch.

Elena is still trying to get the stake out of her abdomen, but it won't budge. Improvising, she braces her hands against the wall and pulls her body off of the stake. Downstairs, Kol has Jeremy strapped to the counter in the kitchen by his arms. Jeremy struggles against his bonds. Kol pulls a cleaver out of the knife block. "Now, like I said, I don't fancy the hunter's curse, so I'm just going to chop off your arm. But don't worry, I'll heal you right up with a bit of blood after" Kol holds Jeremy's head against the counter "Sorry about the sting. Now, which arm is it? Is it left or right? I'll just chop off both to be safe"

Jeremy closes his eyes as Kol raises the knife over him. Suddenly Elena appears and grabs Kol; the cleaver misses Jeremy and instead slices through one of Jeremy's restraints. Elena slams the cleaver into Kol's chest, shoving him against the counter. Jeremy releases his other arm and rushes to the sink. He grabs the spray hose and sprays Kol with the vervain water. Kol cries out in pain as the water hits him; Elena moves away. Jeremy keeps the water on Kol, and Elena takes the white oak stake from Kol's jacket, throwing it to Jeremy. "Jeremy, now!"

Jeremy catches the stake and stabs Kol through the heart with it. Kol screams and bursts into flame. He continues to scream as he staggers through the kitchen and falls to the floor, dead. Elena notices that Jeremy sees something behind her, so she looks over to see Klaus standing at the open doorway, looking upset and angry "What did you do?"

 **"** We didn't have a choice. He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!"

Jeremy and Elena could see the rage forming "Lies! He never would've gotten inside if you hadn't have set a trap for him" Klaus looks around inside the house "I'm going to burn this house to the ground and then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you both without blinking"

 **Jeremy** : You kill us, you'll never get to the cure.

"I want the cure so I can destoy it. I would've killed you all the second we dug it up, but now I'm just gonna watch you burn instead" Klaus falls to the ground, crying out and falling to his knees.

Bonnie walks in past him "Invite him in" They look at her, confused "Do it!"

Klaus gets up. "Come in" Klaus falls forward as Bonnie magically pulls him inside and immobilizes him.

 **"** Living room. Go!" Elena and Jeremy run through the living and into the kitchen. Klaus follows, but he can't get into the kitchen. He punches at the air, but there is an invisible barrier. Jeremy pulls the white oak stake out of Kol, and he and Elena run to the door and Klaus continues to pound on the barrier.

 **"** I will hunt all of you to your end! Do you hear me? Do you!?" Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy leave the house. Klaus pounds against the barrier futilely.

Brie and Stefan are walking down the town when Stefan's phone starts to ring.

"It's Damon" Stefan says to Brie before answering his phone "Has it worked?"

"I've got the tombstone, Kol is dead and Jeremy has the full map, we can find the cure"

Stefan looked relieved, he didn't think the plan of Jeremy killing an original would have been a success "Great, we just got to find it before Klaus does"

"Don't worry about Klaus, Bonnie has done a spell that has kept him prisoner in Elena's Livingroom, we have 3 to 4 days max before he comes after us" Brie over hears the conversation with her vamp hearing.

"Give us the location and we'll meet you there"


	29. In The Wild

Shane stands on the beach, looking on at the island as the others unload from the boats on the shore. It's morning. Shane, Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, Bonnie, Brie, and Elena form the group. The others continue to unload, each with varying expressions of uncertainty and curiosity on their faces as they take in their new surroundings. Damon is sharpening a knife on the beach when Shane approaches him.

 **"** Couldn't they have hidden this cure in Hawaii? Where the hell did you take us?"

 **"** Two hundred miles off the Nova Scotia mainland. If you recall, the whole point was to hide the cure on the world's most obscure, desolate island"

Shane holds up sunscreen and offers it to Damon "Sunscreen?"

Damon gives him a weird look "Is that a joke?"

Bonnie is taking pictures of Jeremy's tattoo with her phone "Sorry, if there was a less awkward way to do this, I would"

 **"** Doesn't bother me" Jeremy says as he looks like he enjoys Bonnie being close to him.

Bonnie smiles "These symbols must have been left for the hunters, so they can find the cure. And this must be the story of Qetsiyah and Silas. According to Shane, Silas asked Qetsiyah for help making a spell for immortality. She helped make him immortal, only to learn that he planned to use the same spell on another women, not her. When she found out, she freaked"

 **"** Does it say anything about the hunter's purpose in all this?"

Shane comes up behind them. "I was wondering when you'd ask. Qetsiyah created a cure for immortality, and then she buried it with Silas, hoping that he'd take it and die, and end up on the other side with her for all eternity. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. So, many centuries later, her descendants created the hunters to find him, cure him and kill him. You know what? I'll explain on the hike. Come on. We gotta get going"

They all begin to hike through the woods, arriving at a clearing in the woods "What is this place?"

 **"** According to island lore, a group of college kids came here for spring break. A few weeks later, they were all found dead, completely drained of blood"

The rest start to settle around the site while Stefan talks to Shane "Let's just keep going. You know? Get the cure. Get in, get out. Where is it?"

Shane raises his eyebrow "How stupid do you think I am?"

 **"** Stupid enough to raise an immortal witch, so I'd say...incredibly"

"You know, I'm shocked you even want the cure, considering you've got the most to lose once Brie's human" He walks off as Brie watches him leave and gets up to talk to Stefan.

"Don't listen to him Stefan, do you really think that I'm gonna take this cure and fall out of love with you?"

Stefan shakes his head as he looks away **"** No. I'm saying we don't know"

 **"** This cure is going to change so many things we're finally gonna get rid of Klaus. Bonnie's mom isn't going to be a vampire and anyone who wants to take this cure is gonna have that option. Caroline, Damon, you. If you want it" She smiles at him expectantly and she kisses him. They part and she touches his face. Stefan puts his arms around her and they embrace.

Rebekah looks over at them, a little jealous but decides to join them "Can I join?"

Brie looks at her with a dirty look "Are you serious?"

"Five minutes…. please" Rebekah gave a fake smile and Brie sighed before getting up and going over to Bonnie, leaving Rebekah and Stefan alone.

Rebekah sits next to Stefan who is watching Brie from a distance "Well, seven of us and no one thought to bring s'mores"

They hear sounds of animals screaming in the distance. Rebekah grabs onto Stefan's arm. "Did you hear that? I swear this place is haunted"

Stefan puts his hand on top of Rebekah's "Um...you're crushing my arm"

Rebekah starts laughing "Okay. You got me. I'm a scaredy cat"

 **"** You do realize you're an Original vampire, right?" Stefan says taking his eyes off Brie.

 **"** Which is precisely why you should stop teasing me. I'm very powerful. What are you going to do when Brie becomes human? You said that you'd take the cure to be with her. You'd have children and grow old. Is that still true?"

 **"** Well, why do you want to take it? Aren't you the perfect vampire?"

 **"** Isn't it obvious? It's all an act, Stefan. Being a vampire is miserable. I would give anything to be human"

In a tent, Jeremy is lying awake when he sees a shadow pass over him - someone is outside. He sits up with his flashlight, when suddenly a man appears next to him, covers Jeremy's mouth and takes him before the screen goes black.

It's morning. Everyone is searching for Jeremy. "Jeremy!" Elena shouts and walks over to Bonnie "Did you find anything?"

 **"** He's not on the trail"

Stefan entering the clearing with Rebekah "He's not at the quarry, either"

 **"** Let's split up"

 **"** I'm gonna stay and try a locator spell" Bonnie says walking away to find her grimoire.

 **"** Okay. I'll stay here. I'll make sure she's safe" Shane says walking off following Bonnie.

Damon raises his eyebrow, he doesn't trust Shane. **"** I'll stay here and make sure you're not lying.

Rebekah looks at Stefan and Brie, who glance at each other. "Fine. We'll keep searching the island"

Damon nods and walks off. Stefan and Brie turn around and start walking and Rebekah follows after them.

Bonnie is outside, kneeling at a campfire pit with what appears to be a T-shirt of Jeremy's. She closes her eyes in concentration and flames erupt in the pit. She tosses the shirt into the flames. She waits a few moments until the flames start to spread beyond the pit, and lead a path out into the trees. She stands and begins to follow the flames out into the woods, the wind blowing through her hair sounding like whispering voices.

Brie, Stefan and Rebekah searching for Jeremy "Jeremy! Jeremy!" Brie shouts as she listens to any sounds she could hear.

Rebekah rolls her eyes "Why don't you yell louder? Maybe we haven't drawn enough attention to ourselves already"

Brie stops in her tracks and turns around to the blonde original "I'm sorry, and how are you helping?"

 **"** I'm stronger than you and faster than you and I'm quite certain I can charm the islanders a lot easier than you"

 **"** Not disagreeing on the easy part" Brie smirks as she see's Rebekah's rage starting to appear.

 **"** All right, we get it. You two hate each other. Can we just keep going, please?" Stefan says trying to keep the peace.

Brie walks into a trip-wire and sets off a trap. Rebekah vamp-speeds to stop it from impaling Brie. They exchange glances as Brie tries to catch her breath.

 **"** Nice catch" Stefan said impressed.

Rebekah smiles at the younger Salvatore "Thank you"

Brie finally catches her breath "No, actually, thank you. This thing would've killed me"

Rebekah shrugs her shoulders "I don't care what happens to you either way but if you're gonna die, it might as well be epic"

 **"** I'm gonna go back and check on Bonnie, see if she found anything. Be careful" While Brie turns back, Rebekah swings the trap out of the way and continues on, Stefan watching her.

Stefan and Rebekah start to continue hiking through the woods "Haven't we been through here before?"

Rebekah looks around the woods "It all looks the same to me" One of them steps on a rock that triggers another trap, this time a spear that flies out of nowhere. Stefan vamp-speeds Rebekah out of the way and it hits a tree. They gasp for breath, Rebekah's back to another tree. "Thanks, but that wouldn't have killed me"

 **"** Sorry. Force of habit" Stefan says moving away from the blonde original.

Rebekah and Stefan continue to trek through the woods **"** Why do you all assume that I hate Brie so much?"

 **"** Well, I mean, you did run her off a bridge"

 **"** You all seem to forget that Brie's death was the only way to save my family. I did the same thing that every one of you would've done to protect the people that you love. And before you cast me as the bad guy, maybe you should remember that Brie's helped to kill not one, but two of my brothers, maybe we're not as different as everyone's making us out to be. Jeremy's not here, I'm going back" She turns and walks away, leaving Stefan looking pensive.

Brie is back at the camp and enters her tent "Bonnie?" There's no response; she runs out to the shed, which is likewise empty. She walks out to find Stefan and Rebekah have returned. "Where is everyone?"

Stefan looks at her slightly confused **"** What are you talking about?"

 **"** Well, Bonnie's not here and Shane's stuff is all gone" Brie said looking in-between Rebekah and Stefan.

 **"** Oh my god" Rebekah vamp-runs over to her bags. "The tombstone's gone"

Rebekah is rifling through bags inside Brie's tent, breathing heavily with a panicked look in her eyes as Brie enters behind her "What are you doing in my tent?"

Rebekah vamp speeds over to her and grabs her by the throat "Where's the tombstone? What have you done with it?"

 **"** What are you talking about?"

 **"** Like it's not bloody obvious? All you people ever do is betray me and here you go again!"

Stefan enters the tent "Let her go. She didn't take it"

Rebekah releases Brie "Was any of this real? Or was it just a ploy to distract me while Shane ran off with the tombstone?"

 **"** You think I would let some psychopath run off with the cure? Every single moment of my last 146 years has been ruled by the pain of being a vampire and this cure ends that. It ends the guilt and it ends the suffering. And you really think I would jeopardize that?"

 **"** Fine. You didn't take it. But that doesn't mean I trust her" Rebekah and Brie stare at one another for a moment. Finally, Brie bends down and lifts up some material, and withdraws the white oak stake from under it.

 **"** I didn't take it, but here" Brie extends the stake toward Rebekah "Consider this a peace offering"

 **"** Don't you get it, Brianna? There is no peace. We're all screwed"

 **"** Exactly, Rebekah. We're screwed. Bonnie's gone. Shane's got the tombstone. Jeremy's missing. Who knows if Damon's coming back. So, us three, right here, this is all we've got. So we're either in this together or it's over. For all of us" She holds out the stake to Rebekah again and she takes it.

Damon walking through the woods. Suddenly an arrow shoots through the trees and lands in Damon's arm. He groans in pain and pulls it out "You gotta be kidding me" A man jumps him and throws him to the ground. They both get back up and go at each other. Damon manages to pin the man down, straddles his back and pulls at his head. He notices the man's hand on the ground has the hunter's mark on it "You're one of the Five!" The man gets free of Damon's choke-hold, flips him over and snaps his neck. He stands over Damon's body.

Brie, Stefan, and Rebekah are on the beach and Brie is on the phone with Caroline " Tell me you're not serious"

 **"** I wish I weren't" Caroline is on the phone while Klaus remains trapped in the living room "When we got back from looking for Jeremy, Shane and Bonnie were gone too. Shane needs Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure, and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses"

Caroline starts pacing around the room **"** Well, where's Damon in all this?"

 **"** I thought he was just taking a walk, but then when we went to the beach, we saw signs of a struggle"

 **"** Meaning what?" Caroline said raising her eyebrow and stopping in her tracks.

 **"** Meaning somebody probably jumped him and then grabbed him!"

Caroline sighs "I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to help"

 **"** Well, maybe there's something you can do from home, so Shane's looking for the cure. We think we can find him, we have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map"

 **"** Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus"

 **"** He'll never give up the sword" Rebekah says over hearing the conversation "He will _never_ give up the sword, he's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want any of us to derive a moment's worth of happiness from being human"

 **"** Well, maybe he doesn't have to give it up. I mean, Klaus is stuck in Elena's house by Bonnie's spell. He can't go anywhere. There's only so many places you can hide a three-foot piece of metal"

Caroline hears the conversation between Rebekah and Stefan "I'll find it, don't worry. Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back" She hangs up.

Shane, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Massak are walking towards the cave entrance, Shane leading the way. Inside, they reach the hole they have to climb down into. "This is as far as I go"

 **"** We're on the brink of a monumental event in human history. We're going to raise the most powerful immortal creature that ever was. Come on, our work's not done yet"

 **"** Mine is. You said get the kid and the witch. I did. I wanna get paid now" Shane opens his bag and pulls out the tombstone. He walks over and hands it to Massak. Massak looks over at Bonnie and Jeremy.

 **"** I'll say a prayer for your souls" Massak leaves quickly

Bonnie turns to Shane angrily "That's what the tombstone was for? To pay off a mercenary?"

 **"** The core of that tombstone is made up of Qetsiyah's calcified blood. In some witch circles, that stone's more valuable than the Hope Diamond. So...so who wants to go down first?"

Caroline and Tyler walk into the house. Caroline has a laptop in her hands while Tyler has the sword wrapped in a blanket.

Klaus is sitting on the coffee table "Come to show how laughably impotent you are against me?"

 **"** I'm just trying to help my friends find the cure" Caroline sits on the couch, and Tyler reveals the sword from the blanket "Found this in your attic"

 **"** And you think finding the sword brings you closer to the cure?"

 **"** You tell me. I was playing around with the handle on the ride over, and I found this" Tyler unwraps the leather on the top of the sword, revealing some sort of turning device.

Klaus gets up and walks over to Tyler "And what do you think 'this' is?"

Caroline gets up "It's called a cryptex" Tyler looks at her. "I've seen The da Vinci Code. You turn the different sides to the different symbols to get the translation on the other side and with the magic of the internet, Brie sent over these" She holds up print-outs of Jeremy's tattoo "So now all we have to do is cryptex away" Caroline sits down again "If you happened to want to help, we wouldn't stop you"

 **"** Right, well, might I suggest using the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary from your nearest retailer" Klaus smirks.

Tyler turns to Caroline "What's Aramaic?"

 **"** It's a dead language. It hasn't been used since, like, biblical times"

 **"** Qetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing. You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take days to translate" Klaus sits down "Perhaps weeks. _"In bas so-teen-too ara-ma-eet."_

Caroline turns to Klaus "What does that mean?"

"If only you spoke Aramaic" Klaus starts to grin.

Caroline has the pictures of Jeremy's tattoo and index cards of the Aramaic symbols lying on the table. She has her computer open and is sitting with Tyler. "Okay, this is it. We've translated all the symbols on the tattoo" She reads the translation "Passage inside...requires a young senator, and a pretty flower" She starts to be irritated "Okay, none of this makes sense!"

Klaus speaks Aramaic, then the English translation "Requires a powerful witch and a hunter in full bloom, Caroline. Bring my sword over here" Caroline has brought the sword close enough for Klaus to read the cryptex. "Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand." He glances at the pictures of Jeremy's tattoo on the computer screen "Turn the cryptex to the right" Caroline obliges "Stop. The top of the hilt reveals a key to a nautical map. Turn it to the left" She turns it "Now turn the other piece" She does "There's something else"

Caroline looks at Klaus "What does it mean?" Klaus smiles at her "Klaus, what does it mean?"


	30. Down The Rabbit Hole

In the cave, Bonnie is lowering herself down into the lower chamber of the cave in a harness attached to a rope. Suddenly she loses her grip and falls the rest of the way down, landing painfully on her hand. Jeremy, already down, rushes over to her **"** You okay?"

 **"** Yeah, I just slipped" She lifts her hand and groans; her glove is torn and bloody. Jeremy rips off a strip of his T-shirt and helps Bonnie pull off her glove. Her hand is bleeding profusely. He uses the fabric to make a quick tourniquet for her hand. "Thanks" She chuckles as Jeremy helps her up; she unhooks the rope for her harness.

Shane is above the hole's opening "Hey, guys, I'm coming down"

 **"** Hey, Bon. What do you think's gonna happen once you cast a spell on my tattoo and there's nothing in between Shane and Silas?" Jeremy asks quietly so Shane couldn't listen into the conversation.

 **"** Do you trust me?" Bonnie asks as Jeremy nods "Then trust me when I promise I won't let Shane raise Silas"

Jeremy looks up briefly as they hear noises from above, lowers his voice even further "Just don't do anything stupid. If your Expression gets out of hand, Shane is the only one that could help you keep it in control"

 **"** Don't worry about me, I'm fine but if Shane tries to lift a finger on his hand to hurt either one of us...I'll kill him myself" They prepare to keep moving. The camera zooms in on the spot where Bonnie landed, where her blood has soaked the floor of the cave. It seeps through a crack in the floor, dripping down to a chamber below, into the mouth of a figure that resembles a sarcophogus.

Rebekah is still on the beach when her phone rings. "Hello?"

 **"** Hey, it's Caroline. We have the translation of the tattoo. We're emailing you pictures of the map and instructions right now"

Rebekah checks her phone and receives the email. "Got it. Thanks"

 **"** Actually, it was me" Klaus shouts so his sister could hear him.

"Nik, you helped?" Rebekah said surprised.

 **"** You sound so surprised, little sister"

 **"** Shouldn't I be? I mean, you don't want me to be human. You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?"

Klaus thought to himself for a moment before answering his sisters question "Maybe I finally realized the longer I stand in the way of what you want, the longer you'll continue to hate me. Perhaps I want my sister to finally know happiness"

Rebekah scoffs as she wasn't buying it "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a hundred times—"

Klaus interrupts her "No more fooling, no more games. I hope you get to live, and die, as you wish" Klaus looks at Caroline and Tyler "There is one more thing, Rebekah" Caroline and Tyler look up; Klaus speaks quickly "There is only one dose of the cure. You need to find it first and take it. It's the only way you'll" Tyler rushes to end the call.

In the cave, Shane joins Bonnie and Jeremy in the new chamber, all of them holding flashlights. "It's just amazing, isn't it? Once we raise Silas, all of our sacrifices will have been worthwhile; we'll all have what we want"

 **"** Or he'll kill us all" Bonnie rolls her eyes.

 **"** Listen, you're going to see I'm right. Just so you don't get any ideas, remember, anything happens to me, something a lot worse will happen to you"

 **"** All right, where is this stupid magic passage she needs to open?"

 **"** Just look for anything that looks out of place, all right? Anything not occurring in nature like a - like a drawing or an inscription or a geometrically perfect circle!" Shane crouches to the ground and brushes away dirt and debris to reveal a circle carved into the ground "This is it! This is the spot" Jeremy and Bonnie share a look.

Meanwhile Rebekah, Brie, and Stefan are walking across the island. "What did Caroline say?"

 **"** I don't know. We lost the signal. Come on, this way" They come to the edge of a cliff and stop as Rebekah holds up the phone "We need to get down and across. Advantage, vampires: all we have to do is jump"

 **"** Wait, wait. Um...maybe you should leave the map behind. In case you fall, you don't want anything to happen to the phone"

Rebekah rolls her eyes "Are we doing this again? I thought we were a team?"

"Guys, we don't have time for this. Brie, you go first. We'll be right behind you" Stefan said interrupting the argument.

Brie hesitates before she takes a running leap off the edge. After falling a huge distance, she lands on her feet, stumbling only slightly. She looks back up the cliff. Stefan is about to jump when Rebekah throws out her arm and stops him. "There's something you should know about the cure"

In the cave, Bonnie has her hand on Jeremy's bare chest where the tattoo is. Her other hand is in Jeremy's. Her eyes are closed "You're doing it, just breathe, all right? Focus on what you _can_ do. Don't be afraid of what you can't"

 **"** You can do this. Remember, just like you taught me. You're in control" Bonnie nods, reassured.

 **"** That's it. It's just like drawing breath. Now just pull the power into you" Bonnie and Jeremy breathe deeply as his tattoo begins to fade away. In the cave, Bonnie looks at Jeremy before closing her eyes again. Rocks begin to rain down around them as the ground shakes. Shane runs off, ducking for cover.

At the base of the cliff, Brie is still waiting for Stefan and Rebekah to jump down.]

 **"** So you're sure that Klaus is telling the truth? That there's only one dose of the cure?" Rebekah gently nods. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you're dumb enough to hold out hope"

 **"** There's still hope for one of us. But even if I felt pity for you, if I wanted to ease your pain so I gave you the cure to take for yourself, you'd give it to Brie, wouldn't you?" Stefan doesn't reply, tacitly revealing his answer. "That's what I thought. Well, I'm sorry that it couldn't work out the way that we all wanted it to" Stefan looks confused, and Rebekah snaps his neck and his body falls to the ground as Brie watches in horror from the bottom of the cliff.

In the cave, Jeremy gets up as dust and debris continue to fall. "Bonnie! Bonnie!"

Bonnie shouts from behind a rock "I'm fine" She smiles "I'm here, look! It worked!"

They look over to see that a new passage has been revealed. "You did it.

 **"** We did it" Jeremy puts on his shirt and they move to continue on when Shane grunts in pain.

 **"** Hey, guys, I need a hand. My leg's broken" Shane says breathlessly.

 **"** Best to stay off it, then" Bonnie shrugs as her and Jeremy make an exit.

 **"** Bonnie. Wait, come on. Bonnie! Help me! Come on, please! Help me!" Jeremy and Bonnie ignore his pleas as they head into the tunnel.

Outside, Brie has rejoined Stefan at the top of the cliff. He's lying down drinking a blood bag while Brie sits next to him "There's only one cure?" Stefan nods "I can't take it. I mean, not above everyone else who deserves it just as much as I do"

 **"** I'm sorry" Stefan says rubbing her thigh.

 **"** Don't be. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise"

Stefan raised his eyebrow **"** How so?"

 **"** Things changed the minute that I went off that bridge, Stefan. Even if I could be human again, I wouldn't be the person that I was" Stefan nods slowly "So it's about time that I accept the person that I am now and figure out a way...to start living the rest of my life" Brie's face changes as she realizes something "Oh my god...Home. Klaus. Bonnie's spell isn't gonna hold him"

 **"** And after what we did to Kol, if we don't ram that cure down his throat, he'll kill us all"

 **"** Pity party over. We have to go"

Damon and Rebekah stand on one side of the cave, Vaughn on the other training his gun on them. "Are we gonna dance or are we gonna play?"

 **"** You know he can't hurt me, Damon, unless he's got the white oak stake"

 **"** Oh, he doesn't, but he's got other toys" Vaughn shoots Rebekah 3 times. She vamp-speeds at him and grabs his throat, but Vaughn sticks something into her chest: it's a grenade with wooden spikes protruding from it. Rebekah looks down at it, Vaughn holds up the fuse that he's pulled out, and the grenade detonates, sending the wooden spikes into her body, all the way through to her back. She falls down, neutralized. Damon vamp-speeds at Vaughn, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. Vaughn withdraws another weapon and fires it at Damon; this time it throws a lasso-like device covered in vervain, which secures Damon by the neck to a pole behind him. He groans and makes choking noises.

 **"** Damon!" Stefan shouts from a distance. Vaughn grabs onto a rope going down the shaft, slides down it quickly and disappears. Brie and Stefan enter the chamber just in time to hear Vaughn reach the bottom. Stefan tries to get the rope off of Damon's neck while Damon groans in pain, but the vervain burns Stefan's fingers as well, making it difficult.

 **"** You're wasting time. Just get the cure. Go"

 **"** We're not gonna leave you" Brie said standing behind Stefan.

Stefan shakes his head "No, we aren't" Stefan turns to Brie "You need to go ahead. We'll be right behind you" Brie hesitates "Go"

Brie looks at both of them for a moment longer before she jumps down into the shaft.

Stefan finally manages to free Damon from the rope and Damon falls to the ground. "All right, come on. We have to catch up"

 **"** No, it's okay. I just need a minute. I'm only gonna slow you down. Go, she only needs one of us" Damon says breathlessly.

 **"** And what? You don't care to be that one anymore? You finally decided it was easier to just walk away?"

 **"** There's only one dose of the cure, Stefan. She wants to take it, you want her to. I don't just do what makes her happy, Stefan"

 **"** Things have changed. It's not that easy anymore"

Damon says loudly "It is right now. Get your ass down the well and help Brie get the damn thing" Stefan still hesitates "Come on"

Stefan finally decides and jumps down the well, while Damon sits and watches him go. Meanwhile in the lower cave, Brie is running through a passage, looking around for any sign of Jeremy or Bonnie. Suddenly she hears a rock fall in the distance and she looks around wildly "Stefan?" Her voice echoes. She hears another rock thud to the ground. "Hello" She hears the whoosh sound of a vampire speed-running. She walks a few steps, then turns around and sees whoever said her name. The person attacks her and she falls to the ground unconscious.

Meanwhile, in the lower cavern, Bonnie and Jeremy approach a side chamber containing Silas's tomb. It is shaped like a human figure lying on a table, covered in vine-like decoration. Its hands are holding a small box on its chest. "Is this it? This is the cure? How is that supposed to cure every vampire in the world?"

Jeremy starts trying to wrest the box out of the figure's hands. "It's stuck. Help me move it"

She joins him and they both pull as hard as they can. "It's, like, fossilized in place. It's like trying to bend stone" They give up. Bonnie realizes something. "Oh, my god"

"What?" Bonnie backs away, looking at the entombed figure "What, Bonnie?

"He's been frozen like a vampire statue for 2000 years. There's only one way we're gonna get the statue to unfreeze. We have to feed him our blood" Jeremy turns around to look at her "If we want to get the cure out of his hands, we...we have to wake him up"

Bonnie is cut off short as Vaughn drives a knife into her back. She falls to the ground. "Don't listen to the witch, boy. We have to raise Silas, and we have to do it now"

 **"** Bonnie!" He runs over to her. Vaughn heads towards the tomb and slices open his hand with a knife "What are you doing?"

 **"** What you shoulda done already. I'm gonna raise Silas" He drips his blood into the figure's mouth "Then I'm gonna kill him" Jeremy attempts to attack Vaughn from behind but Vaughn throws him off easily. They engage in hand-to-hand combat. Vaughn gets Jeremy into a chokehold "You're a bit confused, Mr. Gilbert. We're on the same team here"

Jabbing Vaughn and breaking his hold on him, Jeremy manages to get a grip on Vaughn from behind. "You stabbed my friend!"

They tussle a bit more and Vaughn throws Jeremy over his head. "I don't mess around with witches"

Jeremy is crouched on the ground "You can't use the cure on Silas"

 **"** It's what it's meant for!" They combat hand-to-hand some more until Vaughn downs Jeremy, who falls to the ground groaning in pain. "What else would you use it for?" He retrieves his knife from the ground and nods knowingly. "Your friends...Your sister...Sorry, lad. It wasn't meant for that. Nothing personal "He bends down toward Jeremy but suddenly Elena swoops in and attacks Vaughn, about to go for his jugular."

 **"** Don't! The hunter's curse!" Elena pauses and instead throws Vaughn to the ground, apparently unconscious. She helps Jeremy up.

 **"** You okay?" Jeremy nods weakly.

Stefan is walking through the passage, flashlight aloft. He finds a wall glistening with blood, then sees Brie sitting against a wall, her head bloodied up. "Brie What happened?"

Brie starts whimpering "She's here!" At Silas' tomb, Katherine, who Jeremy thinks is Elena, gazes at Silas's tomb before turning round to look at Jeremy, crouching over Bonnie.

"Elena's here now, okay? Everything's gonna be all right" Jeremy said kneeling next to Bonnie.

Bonnie looks up at him and smiles "We did it"

 **"** Come on. We gotta get you up" Katherine said as she was pulling Jeremy up.

 **"** You have to help Bonnie. The hunter stabbed her. You have to feed her"

 **"** I will but needed to see if you were okay first, the cure Jeremy, after everything we've been through, it's right there" Katherine says pointing to the tomb.

 **"** It'll be there after we help Bonnie" He crouches down to Bonnie again.

Katherine rolls her eyes and groans impatiently "God, I forgot what a brat you were"

Jeremy looks back up at her "What?"

 **"** I'm done playing nice" She grabs Jeremy and vamp-speeds him over to the tomb, slices open his wrist and holds it over the stone figure's mouth.

"Katherine"

 **"** It's been too long, little Gilbert" Silas' body starts to move. "Sorry. Family reunion is gonna have to be cut short" She pulls him up again and sinks her fangs into his neck, then forces a screaming Jeremy down again, his bleeding neck over Silas' mouth. Silas' arm swings up and holds Jeremy in place. Katherine sees the box containing the cure, freed from Silas' grasp, and takes it, vamp-running out of the chamber. Silas grabs Jeremy's throat, strangling him before snapping his neck. Jeremy falls to the floor, his eyes open but lifeless. Bonnie lies nearby, unable to move.


	31. Stand By Me

Elena finds Jeremy's body in the cave. She holds him in her arms, talking frantically and crying. "Jeremy! Oh, no. No. No. Oh, god, no. Oh god" She checks his hand; the Gilbert ring is still on his finger "It's fine, you're gonna be okay. The ring will bring you back. It's okay. It's okay. You're going to be okay Jeremy. You're gonna be fine"

Stefan walks in and looks on in shock.

"How'd this happen?" Damon said a little frustrated how the doppelganger was that sneaky and followed them without them knowing.

 **"** It was Katherine. She must have been following us this whole time"

 **"** What about the cure, or Silas?"

Stefan shrugs his shoulders "If there was anything in there at all, it's all gone"

Damon sighs **"** Where the hell is Bonnie?"

 **"** I have no idea. She went looking for Jeremy last night. She never came back. Damon, Elena is in there waiting for the Gilbert ring to bring Jeremy back to life"

 **"** Okay, fine. I'll wait with her" Damon starts walking toward the well opening but Stefan puts up a hand to stop him.

 **"** Damon, listen to me. Jeremy was one of the Five, a hunter"

Damon's eyes widened "He's supernatural. The ring won't work anymore" He pauses for a moment "She won't survive this. I'll find Bonnie. You get Elena off this island"

Brie is scrubbing the floor when the door opens and Elena walks in, Stefan behind her carrying Jeremy's body "Hey, you're home. I was trying to clean the burn mark where Kol" She sees Stefan carrying Jeremy, his body wrapped in a blanket "I couldn't get the spot out" Stefan shakes his head a little at Brie.

 **"** Come on. Let's get him upstairs"

Stefan follows Elena while Brie stands immobile, shocked. Upstairs, Stefan lays Jeremy on his bed. Elena sits down beside him and holds his hand. "Can I get you anything?"

 **"** No. I'm fine. I'm just gonna sit here and wait with him until he wakes up. Let me know if you hear anything about Bonnie, okay?" Stefan nods as Elena spreads a blanket over Jeremy and resumes holding his hands on top of his chest. Stefan leaves the room.

Elena is still sitting with Jeremy, smoothing her hand over his face and holding his hands. Downstairs in the kitchen, Brie is dumping a bucket of water into the sink and talking to Stefan. "How long has she been like that?"

 **"** Ever since we found his body. She hasn't said anything except that she's waiting for him to wake up"

 **"** But he's not going to wake up. She knows that, right?"

Stefan holds a finger up to his lips to silence her. He walks over to the sink and runs the tap, using the noise to cover their conversation. "Look. Deep down, I think she has to, but we're talking about Elena here. She feels grief more powerfully than anyone else. I think her denial is the one thing protecting her from letting it all in"

 **Caroline** : But she can't stay like that forever.

 **Stefan** : I know, but I don't want to be the one to break her out of it, not until we know that Bonnie is safe, not until we get Damon over here to, you know-

 **Caroline** : Use the sire bond to convince her that everything is okay?

Stefan nods but then Elena joins them in the kitchen. "I'm not in denial" Stefan turns off the tap "I know that he was supernatural, but did you see? His tattoo is gone. The tattoo had the spell that opened Silas' chamber. Maybe it being gone means that he's fulfilled his supernatural destiny. Maybe he's back to normal. It's possible, right?"

 **"** Elena"

Elena interrupts Brie "It's possible, Brie. There's a chance. It may be miniscule, but it's hope and I'm gonna hold on to that hope with everything that I've got because there's no way that my brother is dead" She nods and shakes her head a bit "I'm not in denial"

She turns and leaves the kitchen. Brie and Stefan share a look. A little while later, Brie is on the front porch and Stefan joins her "I just can't believe after all that, the cure is just gone but we can't think about that right now we need to make plans, lists. We need a funeral or a cover story, or a funeral and a cover story. I should go tell the sheriff. I guess she'll know what to do"

 **"** We should get Matt over here"

 **"** You're right. I will do that. I will call Matt, and then I will go tell Liz, and then I will make a list or a casserole or I don't know whatever people are supposed to do or make in these situations" She pauses "What's that smell?"

Stefan looks inside through the open front door. Brie looks like she already knows the answer. "It's his body. He's starting to decompose. Tell Liz to get Dr. Fell over here"

Meredith pulls the blanket over Jeremy's face and leaves the room. Stefan is on the staircase landing, adjusting pictures on a shelf on the wall, while Meredith adjusts the thermostat. "I'm bumping the A/C. We're not gonna be able to leave him in there for much longer"

 **"** Yeah, I know" Stefan says walking up the stairs and sitting down on the top step "I've been alive for almost two centuries now. You'd think with the amount of people that I've seen die, it would hurt less each time. Never does"

 **"** No. No, it never does" She sits beside Stefan "I see this every day. Sometimes I think that denial is the worst part for people like us, because we know the truth. We can see they're on a collision course with it, and all we can do is brace ourselves for impact"

Stefan nods, then his phone rings. "Did you find her?"

 **"** I'm still looking. How is she?"

 **"** She's losing it, Damon. We can do what we can to delay things here, but we've got to get Jeremy to the morgue before it gets ugly"

 **"** Damn it. I can't just leave her behind. I can't show up without Bonnie"

 **"** I think you have to. At this point, the sire bond is probably the only thing that's gonna keep Elena together. I can go back to find Bonnie"

Damon nods "I'm on my way" He hangs up. Damon turns around as he hears footsteps. Bonnie emerges from behind a tree "I could actually hug you right now" They embrace. "Where have you been? How'd you find me?"

Bonne pulls away "Shane led the way. He told me what to do, Damon. I know how to bring Jeremy back"

It's night-time. Brie is in her car, she gets out and walks round to stand in front of the Gilbert house. Damon's car pulls up and Bonnie gets out of the passenger side. Brie sighs in relief "Thank god. We were so, so worried" She hugs Bonnie.

 **"** Could you get Stefan out here?" Damon says

 **"** They said that she knows what to do"

Sounding serious, not hopeful like everyone else "Brie, I need to talk to my brother" Damon says looking at Brie

"What's wrong?" Brie asked as Damon's eyes move slightly to gesture at Bonnie.

Inside Bonnie, Elena, Brie, Caroline and Matt are sitting at the kitchen table. "It's called an Expression triangle. I need to complete it for Silas"

Matt in disbelief "What?"

Outside the house, Damon and Stefan are talking. "She's out of her mind, Stefan. The nutty professor's got her totally brainwashed"

"Bonnie, you can't kill 12 people"

 **"** I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only way to get enough power"

"Bonnie, you are talking like a crazy person. You are not killing 12 people, and you sure as hell can't invite every monster who has ever died back into this world"

"Brie, I think she knows that"

Elena stares straight ahead as the others continue to argue. "I can do it. I have the power. We can bring _everyone_ back- Jeremy, Alaric, Vicki"

"Bonnie, stop it. You can't just say these things"

"I mean, the whole flight back home, all she could talk about was how she's the one that can drop the veil between this side and the Other Side"

 **"** Drop the veil?" Stefan asked looking slightly confused "What does that even mean?"

 **"** What it means is, the myth about Silas being able to raise the dead is not just one, or some. It's every supernatural being over there"

"Once the veil is dropped, the Other Side doesn't exist anymore. There's nothing separating us. We're all just one"

"Three massacres, three hot spots, and the witch spell of the century, and every supernatural being over there is back with a vengeance"

Upstairs, Elena slowly enters Jeremy's room, where his body lies under a blanket. She approaches the bed, and reaches to lift the blanket from over his face with a trembling hand. Upon seeing his face, she backs away, breathing heavily. "Elena..."

Elena spins around to look at him, tears streaming down her face "He's dead. He's dead. Damon, he's dead, and he's been dead this entire time" Her hand flies to her face over her mouth "Oh, my god" turning to look at Jeremy "I can smell him How long has he smelled like that?"

 **"** Hey, talk to me. I can help you" Damon says moving closer to her.

Elena moves to the door "Just carry him down, please" She leaves the room, leaving Damon looking reluctant. She hurries down the stairs. "Where's Bonnie?"

 **"** We told Matt to take her home. We thought it'd be best"

Elena nods her head "Okay. I guess we're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way" Elena looks to Damon, who has arrived downstairs "Put his body on the couch" She goes into the kitchen and starts opening and closing cabinets.

 **"** Elena? Elena, you need help finding something?" Brie said looking worried for the state of her friend was in.

Elena taking a bottle of lighter fluid out of a cabinet and squirting it over the counter "Got it"

Brie stands in astonishment. "Elena, stop it"

 **"** Why? Because you want me to not be in denial? You want me to face the truth? _This_ is the truth, Brie. I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want these sketches" Sprays them with lighter fluid and kicks something "I don't want this Xbox" She throws down the empty bottle and reaches into a cabinet "Not gonna need this bourbon anymore. Alaric's not here to drink it, I mean, unless you guys are willing to bring back every supernatural creature on the Other Side to get him back" She pulls the Gilbert ring off of Jeremy's finger and tosses it to Damon "He's not gonna need that anymore"

 **"** Elena, stop it. You're scaring me!" Brie says shouting.

Elena takes down a picture frame from the fireplace mantle "What else are we supposed to do with the body, Brie? I mean, there's no- there's no room in the Gilbert family plot" She throws the frame down on the floor and the glass cracks she throws the empty bottle of bourbon against the wall and it shatters, then grabs a match from the mantle and lights it. "There's nothing here for me anymore, every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that have died- my mom, my dad, Jeremy, and Jenna and Alaric, John, even John. I mean, they're all dead. Everyone is dead. So what am I supposed to- I mean, how am I gonna- I can't even- There's nothing left for me- aah!" The flame had burned down on the match and started to burn Elena's hand. She drops the match but Damon vamp-speeds over to catch it before it can ignite on the lighter fluid everywhere. Elena sobs and starts to crumble.

"Elena, I need you to calm down"

 **"** No, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't" She falls to her knees, immeasurable pain and grief distorting her face. She grabs at her head "No. It hurts. It hurts. Just make it stop. Please make it stop. It hurts" She continues sobbing loudly.

 **"** Damon...Help her" Damon crouches down next to her and pulls her to him.

 **"** I can help you. I want you to let me help you" Elena shudders as Damon touches her face. She sits up, pulling away as Damon gently caresses her cheeks and smooths her hair back. "I can help you"

 **"** How?" Elena said looking up at Damon with a puffy face.

"Turn it off" Damon simply said.

Stefan moves closer to them **"** What? No, no"

Damon holds up a hand to stop him from intervening. "Just turn it off, and everything will go away. That's what you have to do. It's what I _want_ you to do. Just turn it off" They watch as Elena's tear-stained face turns utterly expressionless and still. The light leaves her eyes, as though something inside her has died.

Elena puts down the frame. Still expressionless, she crosses the living room to grab and light another match as Damon and Stefan come back inside. "Elena, don't do this. We can find another cover story"

Elena starts shaking her head "This is the best one. No one'll ask questions"

 **"** Look, if you burn down the house, it'll be gone. What if one day when this is all over, you want to come home again?"

Elena watches the flame, then looks up at Stefan. "I won't" She tips the match out of her fingers and the floor immediately ignites. The four casually walk out of the house together, Elena leading. She and Damon turn to their left and continue down the street while Stefan and Brie pause and looks back at the house before following after them. Inside, Jeremy's body is engulfed in flames, along with his sketchings, Elena's converse sneakers, and her journal.


	32. Because The Night

It's night-time. Elena is slowly walking down the middle of an empty road. She stops. Her face is completely emotionless. She turns and looks around her for a minute before lying down on the road, spreading her arms out and closing her eyes as she waits. A car approaches the spot where Elena lies in the middle of the street. The woman driving sees Elena lying there and stops her car a few feet away from her.

The woman has gotten out of her car and runs over to Elena. The woman crouches down next to Elena "Are you all right? Was there an accident? Where are you hurt? Are you in pain?"

Elena opens her eyes "I don't feel anything"

"I have a blanket in my car. Try not to move. I'll call for help" The woman gets up and trots to her car. Elena remains on the pavement, looking completely numb. The woman opens the trunk of her car and retrieves the blanket. She turns around to see Elena standing right behind her, looking at her hungrily "What are you doing?"

Elena smirks and starts to vamp out. She extends her fangs and growls ferociously as she bites into the woman's neck. She holds onto the back of the woman's head as she feeds from her.

Brie vamps over to the car "That's enough" Elena ignores her and continues to feed Brie grabs Elena's arm and pulls her off the woman "I said that's enough" She turns Elena around to face her "We agreed no killing"

 **"** This is the first person I've seen in days whose body isn't laced with vervain and I'm hungry"

"If you leave a trail of bodies, people are gonna start asking questions"

 **"** I don't care" Elena turns away and begins feeding on the woman again.

 **"** Hey!" Brie grabs Elena by the arm and pulls her away from the woman for a second time "Show a little restraint"

Elena looks annoyed "I thought this was supposed to be fun" She throws the body of the woman aside. The woman lands on the pavement and doesn't move. Elena walks away with blood staining her mouth as Brie watches her walk away. Brie heads towards the Salvatore house and walks in to find Damon sitting in the Livingroom.

"And what do I owe this pleasure" Damon smirks into his glass of bourbon.

"Do you really think it's the best time to sit and relax and enjoy a drink? Well it's not" Brie said looking at Damon with an annoyed look as it was his fault Elena's humanity switch is off.

Damon shrugs his shoulder "Need a few minutes before to adjust"

Brie took the glass of him and threw it against the wall "We're gonna lose her, Damon" Brie said angrily.

Damon was shocked by her actions "Was that really necessarily?"

"This isn't a joke Damon, I had to stop her from killing an innocent bystander"

Damon rolls his eyes "She needs time. It's only been a couple days"

Brie scoffs and gives him a 'are you serious face' "Her humanity's off. She's basically numb to everything that makes her who she is"

Damon stands up and pours himself another glass of bourbon "She's a vampire. Off switch is one of the biggest perks. If being undead gets you down" Damon snaps fingers "oilà, vampire Prozac" He says as he takes a swig of bourbon.

 **"** She burned down her family home with her brother's dead body still inside"

 **"** Saves us the trouble of having to do it ourselves. I call that a win" Damon gives a smug look. "Worst case scenario: I'll invoke the sire bond and tell her to turn it back on"

 **"** No, her brother just died if you force all that grief on her at once, it's going to overwhelm her. We need to give her a reason to want to turn it on"

 **"** Fine, we'll show her a good time"

Brie looks skeptical about this plan. **"** You really think that's going to work?"

 **"** There's only one way to find out"

It's morning. Elena is showering in Damon's bathroom. Damon and Stefan are in his bedroom having a conversation. Elena turns her head so she can hear the two of them better "So that's the plan? You're gonna take her back to school?"

 **"** Well, the fun route didn't exactly pay off, did it?"

 **"** I don't know. Got a free meal out of it"

 **"** Look, do you think I want to go to school and play chaperone? You can't go because you're not a student. Besides, you've got to go look for Katherine. I mean, Elena needs this cure now more than ever"

Brie enters the room in a bath robe. The Salvatore brothers turn to face her. "Not that anyone asked me, but I think taking her back to school is a great idea"

 **"** Why are you here?"

 **"** Uh, blame it on your fancy water filters. Your house has the only vervain-free showers in town"

 **"** Oh, yeah. The mayor put vervain in the water supply" He clicks his tongue "So many people to kill" Stefan looks back at Damon. "Fine, I'll go after the psychotic doppelgänger" Damon looks at Brie "Brie, take her to school"

"Sounds like fun" Elena has emerged from her shower, completely naked. Stefan and Damon openly stare at her body, while Brie averts her eyes, smiling awkwardly "What? It's nothing you guys haven't seen before" Elena wraps a towel around her body, covering herself up. Stefan and Damon share a look with similar nonplussed expressions. "And as for the, uh, "going to school" idea...I've got nothing better to do"

Stefan clears his throat and looks over at Damon, motioning toward Elena with his head. Damon walks towards Elena "Elena, it would make me very happy if you went to school today and studied hard- you know, get involved in whatever activities, and please, for me, no matter what, don't _eat_ anyone. Okay?" Elena nods understandingly. Students are milling about the school grounds. Inside, Elena approaches a bulletin board and pulls off a flyer advertising a memorial for Jeremy. Without any noticeable reaction, she moves on to another flyer, this one advertising the Mystic Falls Cheerleading Invitational.

Matt walks along the corridor, approaching Brie "Hey, have you seen Bonnie?"

 **"** Yeah, I called her last night. She's fine. She's just a little drained from, you know, everything"

 **"** Can't really blame her" Brie nodded as she noticed Elena walking towards them.

 **"** I have an idea" Elena said approaching them, holding up a flyer "Can you get me my old spot back on the cheerleading squad?"

 **"** I mean yeah I'm sure Caroline would let you back in but thought you hated cheerleading" Brie raised her eyebrow

 **"** I did, but now I think it would be really fun to jump around and toss people up in the air. It's not like the routines are that hard"

Brie at Matt, then smiling at Elena" I think that would make Damon really happy" Elena smiles vacantly back.

The cheerleading invitational is underway as Elena, in her cheer uniform, observes the crowds. Inside, Brie approaches her cheerfully.]

 **"** The uniform still fits, you look fantastic" Elena twirls to show off her uniform "We are totally gonna kick Grove Hills' ass"

 **"** Yeah. Should be fun" Elena uses her heightened vampire hearing to listen to a girl across the gymnasium.

"Oh, my god. You guys, I left my makeup bag on the bus"

 **"** Wow. The competition's bigger than last year" Elena is half-listening while she fixates on the girl.

 **"** I'm gonna go stretch" Brie walks away and the girl walks past Elena out of the gymnasium.

Outside, the girl walks up into a school bus and retrieves her bag. She turns around and suddenly Elena is right behind her "I like your ribbon"

The cheerleader looks at Elena awkwardly "Um, thanks"

"I want it" Elena said without taking her eyes off the girl standing infront of her.

"Yeah, but I'm using it, so go get your own" She tries walking around her but Elena moves into her way. Elena's eyes vamp out, she snarls and launches onto the girl's neck. She continues feeding while the girl splutters and groans in pain. Elena, still drinking from the girl's neck, reaches around and pulls the blue ribbon out of the girl's hair.

Later, back inside the gym, Elena has the blue ribbon tied around her ponytail. Brie approaches her. "Hey, where were you? We're going on any minute"

 **"** I'm here, aren't I?" Elena said smiling.

Brie notices Elena was wearing a blue ribbon in her hair and raises her eyebrow "What's with the ribbon? That's not even our colors" Elena simply gives her a cute sly smile, twirls her ponytail, and walks away while Brie watches her uneasily. She then catches sight of the girl Elena fed on; she now has a scarf tied around her neck and is pulling at it uncomfortably. Upset, Brie catches up to Elena "Are you out of your mind?"

Elena turned around to face her "What is your problem?"

"Feeding on the competition? Hello. Did you not hear what Damon told you?" Brie said angrily at Elena.

 **"** I did, but who cares? I'll do whatever I want" Elena scoffs as Brie shook her head.

"Everything alright?" Stefan said approaching them.

 **"** Yeah, as soon as the queen backs off, everything will be fine" Elena says calmly staring at Brie before she walks off to warm up with the other Mystic Falls cheerleaders while Brie and Stefan watch her carefully.

Brie crosses her arms still not taking her attention off Elena "Remember how Damon sired her to behave? It didn't really work"

They hear a voice over the PA system say, "Up next: Mystic Falls' very own Lady Timberwolves" and the crowd in the gym cheers. Elena runs into Caroline "No way. You are _not_ cheering"

 **"** Let's see you try and stop me" Elena continues walking past Caroline. In the gym, the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your very own Lady Timberwolves" while the girls get in position and the crowd cheers. Led by Caroline's "Ready!", the team starts their routine: "L-O-L, O-M-G, you're looking at Mystic Falls Varsity! B-E-A-T, beat those Cats." Three girls, including Elena, toss Caroline into the air, but when she comes down Elena backs away and Caroline falls straight to the ground. The crowd gasps in shock while the rest of the team rush over to Caroline. Elena looks at Caroline, who is still on the ground, then at Brie across the room, daring them to react, before turning and walking away. Elena is walking outside, now wearing a matching jacket with her uniform and texting someone, until Brie blocks her path "Nice move. What do you do for an encore?" Brie said sarcastically.

Elena continues to text and walk as Brie is beside her "I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve another condescending lecture"

Brie shakes her head "No, I was impressed getting yourself on the cheerleading squad. Plenty of vervain-free victims bussed in for the competition. You played us all really well"

 **"** It wasn't that hard you want me to be okay so badly that you hear whatever I want you to"

 **"** Right. Well, you know, the problem with a gymnasium is, too many witnesses. You gotta go somewhere a little more private for some real fun"

Elena starts playing along "Oh, yeah? Where?"

Brie nods her head trying to get Elena to believe her **"** Oh, I know this little dive bar off the beaten path"

Elena starts smiling knowingly "You're bluffing"

 **"** I know where to take someone to have a good time" Elena finally looks less suspicious. Brie tosses her the helmet and uses her momentary distraction to vamp-speed over to her and stab her with a vervain dart. She gasps and immediately weakens. "But first, a bit of vervain, just to take the edge off" Elena slumps in his arms and passes out.

Elena gasps awake and finds herself in Damon's bed while Stefan leans against the bed post. "What'd you do to me?" Elena said sitting up.

 **"** Brought you home before you can cause any more trouble"

 **"** So you're grounding me...because I dropped Caroline on her thick head" Elena rolled her eyes.

 **"** No, because you fed on someone...in public"

 **"** So? I was hungry" Elena stands up and she drops her skirt and starts untying her top.

Stefan turns around away from her "You're really gonna keep stripping in front of me? That's real mature"

Elena pulls her top over her head "I'm done cheering, so I'm gonna change"

 **"** Sure. When in doubt, manipulate people with sex" Elena puts on a tank top "You know, that's the same trick Katherine used to pull"

Elena starts putting on a pair of pants "Don't compare me to Katherine. She's been running so long, she's afraid of her own shadow. _I_ am not afraid of anything" Elena was checking herself in a full-length mirror "I've shut it all off" She picks up her phone and it beeps "And don't get me wrong. I mean, I see you standing there, and you look good. I remember our sex, and it was good sex. I just don't feel anything about it anymore" Stefan nods ruefully while Elena continues texting "But you clearly do. Why do you care what I do and who I kill?"

 **"** Because it's my fault that you're like this. I brought this into your life" Elena goes back to texting and walks away from Stefan while he talks. "Look, I've killed hundreds of people, and I have to live with that, but I'm not gonna live with the people that you kill or what that'll do to you" Elena seems to be ignoring Stefan completely, laughing slightly while her phone beeps again. Annoyed, Stefan walks over to her and grabs her phone "Who are you texting?"

 **"** Look at you. Your whole world revolves around me. Maybe you're the one that needs to turn it all off" Stefan takes this and looks down for a moment until he hears a door creak and voices downstairs getting louder.

 **"** What is that?" Elena merely looks at him. Hurrying down the stairs, music thumping ever louder, Stefan finds a crowd of high schoolers filing into his house. Elena joins him, adjusting her hair "So that's what all this texting was about? You invited all these people over here?"

 **"** You were trying to keep me from joining the party, so...I brought the party here" She smiles.

Stefan starts looking around "Great. That's great"

Elena smiles impishly, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Later, it's dark outside and Brie walks in through the open door and joins Stefan. "I got here as soon as I could. This is _insane_ "

 **"** Yeah. It won't last. They'll either drink all the booze and get bored, or, ah, Damon'll come home and kill everyone"

They start to join the fray of partiers. "We can't compel them to leave. The locals are all on vervain from the town water supply" Stefan nods "So what do we do?"

Stefan shrugs his shoulders "Pff, I don't know. Enjoy the party, keep Elena from butchering Grove Hills' cheerleading squad" He takes a swig from a bottle of alcohol.

 **"** And where is she?"

Stefan starts pointing and smiling "Where do you think?"

Brie follows his gaze to see Elena dancing on a table, bottle in hand and laughing. "I almost forgot what that looked like"

Stefan looks at her "What? Elena smiling?"

Brie looks at him and chuckles "No. Fun. I mean, look at her, yes this is all very bad, but doesn't she make you just want to let go?"

 **"** Well, unfortunately I have this little problem, when I party too hard, I end up killing people"

 **"** Well, your sober coach is giving you the green light" She takes a swig from the bottle.

Stefan starts smiling "So, what am I supposed to do, just grab some girl, throw her over my shoulder, take her out onto the dance floor?"

 **"** Just take your own advice. Have fun, you know? We deserve a little bit of fun"

"Okay" Stefan nods for a moment then he leans down and hauls Brie up and over his shoulder.

Brie starts laughing and Stefan continues walking into the crowd of partiers with Brie over his shoulder. Elena is still dancing on a table, pouring alcohol into someone's mouth. Stefan and Brie are dancing together, laughing and talking. Elena sees them enjoying themselves, jumps down from the table and approaches them. "Look who finally joined the party"

 **Stefan** : Yeah. Why? Are you jealous or something?

 **"** No. That would imply emotions, and we've already established those are useless"

Brie rolls her eyes "Come on, Elena. Just dance with us"

"No. You guys look good together" Elena walks away.

At the door, Sheriff Forbes walks in "Elena. What's going on in here?"

Elena shrugs her shoulders and looks about the room "Just some underage drinking and drug use"

"I'm shutting this down right now" Liz starts to move past Elena but Elena grabs her arm and stops her "Elena, take your hand off me"

Elena's eyes vamping out briefly "Either you have a drink, or I will" The sheriff starts reaching for her gun but Elena pins her against a wall.

Caroline vamp-speeds over to them and pushes Elena away "Mom!"

Caroline growls and starts to go for Elena but Brie stops her. "Caroline, calm down"

Caroline struggles against Brie "Calm down? I'm gonna wring her skinny little neck!" Suddenly Elena vamp-speeds out of the house, leaving a cup spinning on the patio outside.

Brie was outside of the woods, searching for a missing Elena **"** Elena! Don't make me fight you, Elena! I'm stronger than you, and I don't want to hurt you"

Elena vamp-speeds into the clearing, throws Brie against a tree then throws her down onto the ground. Elena is on top of Brie, holding her down at the throat "Who's gonna get hurt?"

Brie throws Elena off and they both stand up, facing each other. "Not bad. Not technically good, but then again, Alaric didn't train you. You were probably too busy butting into people's business!"

Elena swings her leg up to kick Brie but Brie dodges her. Brie tries to grab her but Elena grabs Brie's throat. Brie tries to loosen Elena's grip but then Elena headbutts her. Brie puts a hand to her forehead "Oh, just stop! God. This isn't you, and you know it! You hurt Caroline's mom, Elena. How far are you gonna take this?"

 **"** Are you trying to make me feel bad for hurting Caroline's mom? Don't you get it? I don't care. I mean, maybe you should try to turn it all off. Who knows? You won't have to feel guilty about all the dirty thoughts you have about Damon"

 **"** Shut up" Brie says angrily.

 **"** Make me" Brie strikes Elena and they engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Elena was holding Brie's fist "You fight like a girl" Elena breaks Brie's arm, snaps a small branch off of a nearby tree and stabs her in the stomach with it. Brie falls to her knees, Elena pulls the branch out of Brie and is about to stake her through the back when Stefan vamp-speeds into the clearing with Damon and restrains her.

Elena was struggling against his hold "Let go of me!"

Damon takes Elena from Stefan as he was fighting to keep hold of Elena "I admit, under any other circumstances, this would be a major turn-on"

Stefan was kneeling beside Brie "Get her out of here. Go" Damon vamp-runs away with Elena while Brie and Stefan catch their breath.

The party is over and everyone has left. Brie is sitting alone on a sofa by the fire, talking on her phone.

Stefan walks into her room and finds Brie sitting down and approaches her **"** You all right?"

Brie looks at him then looks down at the ground "You mean besides the fact that my best friend tried to kill me?"

Stefan sits on the sofa across from her "Look, it's not her. You have to remember that. With her emotions off, she's the worst version of herself"

Brie sits up "So how do we get her back? Or what if we can't? Why would she choose to turn her emotions back on? She's an orphan. She just lost her brother. Her life sucks, Stefan. So why would she come back to us?"

Stefan starts leaning forward "Even when I was at my worst, Elena didn't give up on me. So we can't give up on her"

Brie nods slightly as she knew Elena was a big part of his life before she came into his life. Stefan holds out his hand and gives her small smile "Deal?" Brie smiles back a little, then reaches out and shakes his hand Upstairs, Damon is rifling through a wooden chest filled with papers and photographs. Elena is sitting on his bed behind him.

 **"** How much longer am I supposed to sit here?" Elena said crossing her arms, looking bored.

 **"** Well, I'm not big on goal-setting, but let's just imagine a time when you don't wanna kill your best friend"

"Are you judging me?" Elena stands up "How many times have you tried to kill Stefan?" Damon looks at her over his shoulder but doesn't answer and turns back to the chest as Elena walks toward him. "What is that?"

Damon looks at a photograph of him and Will "One of life's many mysteries. Elena, look"

 **"** Don't" Elena said turning and walking back to the bed "Every time someone starts with "Elena," I get some stupid lecture. Everyone just needs to stop telling me that I need to feel. I do feel, Damon. I feel amazing"

 **"** You don't want to be like this"

 **"** Then how should I be? Should I go back to being the scared little girl who couldn't admit what she wants? Is that how you'd prefer me to go back to being" Elena starts grasping his lapel "Be honest. You like me better like this" Damon looks at her with an inscrutable emotion but doesn't say anything.

Brie is collecting trash from around the house, which is still a disaster after Elena's party. Finding a cup that still has alcohol in it, she thriftily drinks the last sip before tossing it in the bin. Klaus enters the room. "Desperate times, I take it?"

 **"** What are you doing here?" Brie said not looking at him.

 **"** Not judging you, for starters, although if you are determined to get drunk, then perhaps I might recommend something a little more sanitary?"

Maintaining eye contact, Brie drains another cup and throws it defiantly into the bin she's carrying "Well, then. You showed me"

Brie returned to her trash collecting "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to spiraling, so go away"

They stare at one another until Stefan enters the room. "Actually, I asked him to be here. We need his help. I think Silas is in Mystic Falls"

Bonnie and Silas are talking in the living room in front of the fire "You want me to kill witches?"

 **"** We've been over this. It's temporary. They'll come back"

Bonnie thought about the plan for a minute "What if I'm not strong enough?"

 **"** You are strong enough. Look, it won't be easy. Once they realize how strong you are, they'll channel each other one by one using spirit magic till they can strip you of Expression. You have to endure them until all 12 are linked as one" A door opens and shuts "Listen, your dad's here. We have to convince him"

Silas gets up. Mayor Hopkins enters the room "Hey. How was the session?"

Silas shakes his head **"** To be honest, not that great. The meditation isn't really working, her magic's too strong"

Rudy turns to Silas "You told me you could help her"

Bonnie stands up and moves closer to her had "Dad, it's not his fault"

 **"** Not his fault? He's the one who taught you this magic, and now he can't control it"

 **"** Listen, we have an idea"

 **"** I'm done listening to your ideas. I want you to get out of my house" Rudy moves towards the door.

 **"** If we just call on the spirits…" Silas began before getting interrupted by Bonnie's dad.

Rudy didn't want to hear more of the nonsense **"** I want you out of my house!"

 **"** Wait!" Bonnie's anger flares and her magic causes the glass in the windows to explode into the room in shattered pieces. Hopkins and Silas duck.

 **"** What the hell is happening to her?" Rudy said looking at Silas, worried about his daughter's powers getting out of control.

 **"** This happened to my wife. Expression consumed her. She had no control"

Bonnie looks at her dad, pieces of glass stuck in her hair "I need you to call Mom. We need witches, a lot of them"

Klaus is pouring himself a drink while talking to Brie and Stefan. "So some blood went missing from a few hospitals. What about Elena? Don't vampires with their humanity off tend to overindulge in human blood, or were you the exception?" He turns to look at Stefan.

Stefan shakes his head "It's not Elena"

 **"** Well, let's say for a moment that it _was_ Silas. I'm struggling to see how this affects me"

 **"** Look. Silas wants to die and be reunited with his one true love, but he's supernatural, so if he takes the cure and dies, he gets stuck on the Other Side, but if he destroys the Other Side altogether, he can take the cure, die, and pass on, but in destroying it, every dead supernatural being will return to our side."

 **"** That means every werewolf, every witch, every vampire. I wonder how many of those you personally killed. Care yet?" Brie said looking at him widely.

Klaus starts smiling "My interest is piqued" He turns to Stefan "How do we stop him?"

 **"** Bonnie said Silas needs to complete three massacres to do this spell. Before Professor Shane died, he convinced the pastor to blow up the Council. Next, he had you kill your hybrids, and now he only needs one more massacre, so if he's here, that's what he's doing. We need to find him"

Stefan, Klaus and Brie enter Shane's office and start looking through his stuff "What are we even looking for?" Brie said looking around the office.

 **"** Well, if Shane really was working with Silas, chances are he was helping him plan his next move"

 **"** Where, on his evil villain to-do list? 'Steal blood, perform 3 massacres, pick up dry cleaning'?"

 **"** Actually, not to nit-pick, but we evil villains usually use minions to pick up our dry cleaning, that sort of thing"

Brie turns to Stefan "Why is he necessary again?"

Stefan looks at Klaus then answers Brie's question **"** Well, we don't know what Silas can do, so if we do have to go head to head with him, an Original hybrid who can't die might come in handy"

 **"** Besides, Stefan and I work well together, or at least we did in the twenties." Klaus smiles.

 **"** Well, granted my emotions were off" Stefan corrected him as he didn't have the choice in the matter working with Klaus.

 **"** And that's why you were more fun, just as Damon is probably relishing in Elena's emotionless company in New York"

 **"** My brother knows what he's doing" Stefan said as he knew Damon would be the one to get through to Elena.

Klaus didn't look persuaded **"** Does he? Don't underestimate the allure of darkness, Stefan. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it"

Brie looks up from her searching, affected by his words. Stefan laughs him off. Brie recalls herself "I think I found something" She said carrying a large book over to the desk "Symbolic Figures in the Dark Arts." "Didn't Bonnie talk about Expression Triangles? Here" She points at a large, intricate drawing of a triangle.

Stefan reads from the page opposite. "In some schools of magic such as Expression, human sacrifice can be used as a focus for power. It is rumored that the addition of two supernatural sacrifices compounds the mystical energy, creating an Expression Triangle."

Brie points at a symbol in the drawing "Humans, that was the council fire" She starts pointing at another symbol "Demons, Klaus' hybrid failure"

Klaus rolls his eyes "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a failure. What's the third?"

Brie brings clasped hands to her mouth "Oh, no"

Brie and Klaus are alone in the office, poring over a map of Mystic Falls. Brie, with a ruler and a pen, draws lines on the map while she talks "There've been two massacres. Pastor Young's farm is here, and the old Lockwood cellar, where you spitefully slaughtered 12 of your own hybrids, is here" She has drawn a line connecting the two locations. "According to the book, the Expression Triangle is equilateral, putting it here." Brie draws another two lines, forming a triangle on the map.

 **"** Somebody's been skipping their geometry classes" Brie frowns and Klaus takes the ruler and pen "There are actually two places where the third massacre could be" He draws two more lines, forming another triangle opposite of Brie's"

Brie starts smiling "Well, you didn't let me finish" They continue to look at each other across the desk when the door opens and Stefan enters as Brie's swivels around and talking fast "Hey. What's going on? Did you find Bonnie?"

 **"** No, but I talked to her dad. I think I found Silas"

Bonnie approaches a woman standing in the moonlight in a clearing "Is it just you?"

The woman turns around "This place wasn't easy to find"

 **"** Figured you wouldn't want to draw attention" Bonnie said continuing to make her way towards the witch.

Aja looks about the woods "It'll work. I'm Aja" she says as she puts her hand out to shake Bonnie's hand.

Bonnie looks at her hand before shaking it "You friends with my mom?"

A smile grew on Aja's face **"** I was after she became a vampire, we didn't have a whole lot in common"

 **"** So she's not coming"

 **"** This is witch business. Look, I know you're scared, but I've dealt with Expression before, I know the hold it can have on you"

Bonnie shakes her head "It's not that. I'm just- I'm strong. You won't be able to do this alone"

 **"** Oh, honey, who said anything about being alone?" Other witches surround them in a circle, emerging from the forest into the clearing "There's almost nothing as strong as a full coven, so I brought eleven of my closest friends. Won't be fun, but we're gonna cleanse you. You ready?"

 **"** Let's do this" Bonnie nods and goes in positon on her back in the center of a pentagram on the ground. Around the pentagram are unlit torches and the circle of witches; Aja is crouching over Bonnie.

 **"** Call out to the spirits, Bonnie. Let them in" Aja places her hands on the sides of Bonnie's head. Bonnie takes a deep breath and begins to chant.

 **"** _Phesmatos tribum_ \- aah!" Her body jerks painfully. "I can't. It's hurting. It hurts!"

 **"** It's because you've rejected the spirits" Bonnie whimpers "The Expression's consumed you. _Phesmatos tribum nas ex viras_ p _urgal animum sous_..."

 **"** I don't wanna do this anymore!" Bonnie yells in pain as Aja ignores her and continues the chant "Let me go!"

"She's fighting. I need help. Link with me. Lend me your power" Aja says to the other witches. The others kneel to the ground and join Aja in the chant.

" _Phesmatos repallus tantian..._ " Bonnie screams in pain and the torches forming a circle around them flare brightly " _Maltuscanum anium par vas"_ Bonnie's eyes fly open and are a milky-white color "We need more strength!" " _Phesmatos repallus tantian maltuscanum anium par vas"_ Bonnie continues to shout in pain.

Brie and Klaus are walking through the dark woods. Klaus has his phone out. **"** I just want to see where we are"

 **"** You know, when we split up you did have the option of going with Stefan"

Brie scoffs "Yeah? And leave Bonnie's life in your hands? Fat chance. Do you even know how to read a map?"

 **"** Yes, and do you know who taught me? My friend Magellan" He pockets his phone.

 **"** Wow! You had a friend. Was he drawn to your darkness, too?" Brie said sarcastically.

 **"** Actually, I was referring to Damon and Elena when I said that, but clearly it struck a chord with you"

 **"** It's because it's not true! There is no allure to darkness"

Klaus stops and turns around to face her "Really? So you've never felt the attraction that comes when someone who's capable of doing terrible things for some reason cares only about you?" Brie ignored his question "We're here, although judging by the lack of witches, here is not the correct location"

The torches burn bright around the witches' circle. Bonnie is still lying on the ground, struggling against Aja and screaming. Her eyes are still milky-white and her nose is bleeding "Yield to the spirits, Bonnie! You can't fight us!"

Stefan vamp-runs into the circle "Stop! It's not what you think"

 **"** This is no place for a vampire" Aja says angrily as Stefan stands before her.

 **"** She's working for Silas, he brainwashed her to kill you" Bonnie whimpers on the ground. Aja pulls out a dagger. "Wait. What are you doing?"

 **"** If Silas has her, she's lost. We can't save her"

 **"** Wait" Stefan moves toward Bonnie but Aja flings out her arm and uses a spell to weaken Stefan. He grabs at his head and staggers backward to his knees.

"I have the power of twelve witches. You don't stand a chance!" Stefan vamp-speeds away from the circle, backing into a tree and groaning in pain. The witches resume chanting.

Klaus and Brie join Stefan. **"** They're linked. Bonnie's gonna kill them"

 **"** Not if the witches kill her first" Klaus slams Stefan up against a tree.

Brie runs up to Klaus as he still has Stefan against the tree **"** Klaus, we need to save her"

 **"** How? The only way to stop the witches is to kill them, and then Silas gets what he wants"

 **"** Spirits, take her soul. Free her from darkness" Aja holds the dagger over Bonnie as Bonnie screams in pain. Suddenly Brie vamp-runs into the circle and pulls the dagger into Aja's chest, killing her.

 **"** No!" Klaus shouts as Brie watches as the witches forming the circle begin to drop dead and the torches' flames burn out. Brie looks around, shocked by what she's done, but then remembers why she did it "Bonnie. Bonnie!" Brie shouts as she approaches Bonnie on the ground.

Bonnie opens her eyes, they are still milky-white. Bonnie begins to smile eerily "The triangle is complete"

At Bonnie's house, Stefan is sitting on the edge of Bonnie's bed while she sleeps. She starts waking up and Stefan turns to face her. Her eyes appear their normal color "Hey. How you feeling?"

 **"** What are you doing here?" She says sitting up, she looks about the room "How'd I get here?"

Stefan looks at Bonnie confused as she couldn't remember what just happened **"** What do you mean? I brought you home. The witches almost killed you"

 **"** What witches?" Bonnie questioned, looking at him as if he was crazy.

 **"** You don't remember?" Bonnie raises her eyebrows at Stefan "Whatever the witches did must have messed with your memory"

 **"** How did I get off the island?"

Stefan, confused, readjusts himself on the bed. "Wait. Bonnie...what's the last thing you can remember?"

Bonnie thinks for a moment "I guess I remember being in that cave, and Jeremy was trying to pry the cure out of Silas' hands. Please tell me he got it" Stefan won't meet her eyes "We didn't get it, did we?"

 **"** Bonnie, there's something you need to know about Jeremy"

Klaus and Brie are in the woods. It's daylight. Klaus shoves a shovel into the ground while Brie sits nearby.

 **"** There. Twelve graves for twelve witches. Like it never happened" He rolls down his sleeves. "Only it did happen, and now Silas has everything he needs to open the gates to hell on earth"

 **"** You were just gonna let Bonnie die" Brie said as she was sat down against a tree looks on as she didn't make eye contact with him.

Klaus walks closer "I know arithmetic isn't your strong point, but one is still less than twelve"

Brie stands up from her spot **"** Yeah, but that _one_ is my best friend"

 **"** You tell yourself whatever you need to so you can sleep at night"

Brie looks at Klaus with dreadful realization "I just killed twelve people" She starts to gasp as though about to cry.

 **"** Hey" He places his hands on her arms. "Hey. You look like you're in need of comfort" Brie nods, and meets his eyes. Klaus smiles cruelly "Why don't you find someone less terrible you can relate to?"

Brie pauses for a moment before turning and leaving the clearing. Regret crosses his face as she flees. Klaus turns back toward where he placed the shovel, but then senses someone behind him. With foreboding, he turns around to see Silas, in Shane's form "Thank you. Of the three massacres, this is the one I was dreading"

 **"** Silas, I presume" Klaus says with a smile. After a while, Klaus is still talking to Silas. "I'm sorry, mate" Patting his pockets "Don't have it"

Silas begins to smile **"** But you know who does, and the last thing you want is for that cure to be used on you, so you bring it to me, and it won't be. You get to live"

Klaus starts laughing "Yeah. With all of my dead supernatural enemies from the Other Side. You know, you don't scare me, Silas, or Shane, or whoever you are"

 **"** But I think I know what does" Silas pulls out the white oak stake.

 **"** Now where did you get that?" Klaus eyes begin to widen.

 **"** Well, let's just say your sister's mind is a little easier to read than yours. So...care to reconsider my offer?" Klaus pauses for moment, then vamp-runs toward Silas, but Silas disappears. Suddenly Silas attacks Klaus from behind and stabs him with the white oak stake, and Klaus screams in pain. "I missed by an inch, but don't worry. I'm not trying to kill you, not just yet" He breaks off the white oak stake, leaving the broken tip stuck in Klaus' back. "Just a little something to remember me by" He pats Klaus on the shoulder and walks away. "I'll be in touch" Klaus remains kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain.


	33. The Walking Dead

Klaus is feverishly trying to get the piece of white oak stake out of his back. He is scratching his own flesh off, leaving the wound on his back a bloody mess. "Brie" enters "Klaus, we need to talk" Klaus is moaning in pain "What happened to you?"

 **"** Silas. He attacked me. He stabbed me with the white oak stake. A piece of it-is still inside me"

Brie continues to walk towards him **"** Oh my god, Klaus, that could kill you"

Klaus begins to laugh humorlessly "Well, I certainly feel like I'm dying"

Brie reaches for Klaus' face, stroking it. When she speaks, she doesn't sound like Brie "Hey. As much as I would love to watch you die, you still haven't found me that cure"

 **"** Silas!" Klaus pushes Brie/Silas away and falls to the floor.

 **"** That's right. Last night I looked like Shane, today I look like Brie, and tomorrow-who knows?"

 **"** Show me your real face" Klaus said through gritted teeth.

 **"** Now why would I do that when I can look like whomever I want you to see?" Silas approaches and Klaus shudders in fear "Resist me all you want, Klaus, but until you bring me the cure I will bring you nothing but misery" Brie/Silas disappears and Klaus relaxes painfully.

 **"** I got your fifty bajillion messages. This better be life and death" Brie enters Klaus's mansion and looks around.

 **"** Go away" Klaus says as he thinks Silas is back in Brie's form.

 **"** Klaus? Where are you?" Brie finds Klaus shirtless sitting on the floor, leaning on a piano seat. She enters the room. "What happened to you?"

 **"** I need more time. Stop hounding me!" Klaus groans in pain as he just wanted Silas to leave him alone.

 **"** I'm hounding _you_? I'm supposed to be running three different prom committees right now and you keep phone stalking me"

"Brie. Is it really you?" Brie looks surprised. Klaus struggles and pulls himself onto the piano seat and leans back against the piano "Prove it to me"

Brie plays along "Okay, I don't know if this is some new way of flirting, but it sucks, and I have more important things to do" Brie turns around and starts to leave.

 **"** Wait, please. Silas. He stabbed me with the white oak stake" Brie turns around "There's a piece of it stuck inside me"

Brie moves towards him and crotches down beside him **"** Why would Silas attack you?"

 **"** Well, I was in no position to ask questions. Suffice it to say, I'm hurt. So you can understand why I called you"

Brie laughs softly "You think I'm the person to call for help?"

 **"** If I die, you, Stefan, all of your friends die with me"

Brie thinks for a moment and sighs "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really. I need you to cut the stake out of me" Klaus looks down at a pair of bloody pliers lying on the rug. Brie looks down at them, perturbed.

Klaus is bracing himself against the piano while Brie uses the pair of pliers to try to dig out the white oak stake. "Oh, my god. You do have a heart" Klaus yells in pain through gritted teeth as Brie moves the pliers in his back "Oh, my bad. It's just a bloody rib"

 **"** Well I'm glad you're finding my misery so amusing" Klaus said fighting through the pain.

 **"** Ugh, I swear there's nothing in here. And if you think I'm having fun, you're insane"

 **"** You killed twelve witches for your friend Bonnie. You can't even get your hands a little dirty for me? Here I thought we were becoming friends"

 **"** Well, you thought wrong" She digs a little deeper into Klaus' back. He yells in pain and starts slamming his hand on the piano top "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know what?" She yanks the pliers out of his back and he yells in pain "I'm not sorry. You deserve to suffer for everything that you've done. So today, we're gonna do things my way. You want my help? You let Tyler come back to town, and give Caroline your word that you will not hurt him" Klaus shudders in pain but doesn't respond. Brie is sitting on the sofa looking at her phone while Klaus, propped up on the back of another sofa, is still reaching round at the wound in his back.

 **"** I can feel the splinters moving towards my heart. Help me!" Klaus moaned.

Brie sits up as she puts her phone down on the table "Your word first"

 **"** And what makes you think I won't simply break my word?"

 **"** You wanna be friends? Friendship-Stage One. Show me that I can trust you, why can't you just do something decent for once?"

 **"** Because Tyler Lockwood tried to kill me!"

 **"** We've all tried to kill you" Brie says standing "And you've tried to kill most of us. How do you think that you deserve my friendship when you've done nothing to earn it?"

Klaus stands and approaches Caroline quickly "I will not have my hand forced by you or anyone else!"

Brie begins to raise her voice "What is wrong with you? I'm reaching out to you despite everything that you've done, and you still can't get out of your own way. God! I feel sorry for you"

She turns away but Klaus vamp-speeds to block her way "Don't turn your back on me!"

 **"** I should have turned my back on you ages ago!" Brie shouts emotionally.

They remain silent for a moment. Klaus could feel the pain disappearing, he reaches round to his back. "The pain is gone." Klaus realizes something "It was never there. He got in my head. Silas" Gesuturing at his temple "got inside my head" He takes Brie's hand. "You took my mind off it. You brought me back, Brie"

Brie takes her hand back gently and turns around, bringing her hands to her head and walking a few steps. She turns back to Klaus. "If Silas can make you, of all people, believe that you're dying...what can he do to the rest of us?"

After a while, Brie enters the room, wiping her hands on a towel "I used all your bleach" She starts to walk past Klaus but he reaches out and grabs her arm. She turns to him.

 **"** Hey. Thank you for helping me"

 **"** Yeah" She pauses awkwardly "Well, if you need anything else... _don't_ call me" She turns and walks away.

 **"** Friends, then?" Klaus turns to her, smiling. Brie smiles, then finally leaves the room. Klaus smiles as well.

Damon in the cellar at the boarding house, concentrating. He returns to the here and now when Stefan arrives behind him "You still have her locked in the safe? You've been in her head for an hour. What, still nothing?"

Damon says nothing, but instead approaches the safe "How you doing in there?" He unlocks the safe and opens the door. Elena is inside, weak and apparently barely conscious. Damon pulls her out. "Come on" Elena falls to the ground and Damon crouches down in front of her "Is the old you ready to come out and play?"

 **"** Go to hell"

Damon makes a face, smiling tightly "Okay. Back you go" Damon puts Elena back into the safe and locks it. "We can do this the nice way, or we can do it the other way but _either_ way, we're not stopping until you turn your humanity switch back on. So I'm gonna let you think about that, and I'm gonna come back for you in a couple hours, or a couple years because all we have is time" Damon pats the safe twice. Stefan, silently observing this entire sequence, looks troubled.

Later in the day, Brie storms into the house, talking to Stefan while she looks around for Elena "Where is she? I wanna see her"

 **"** We're not letting anyone see her, that's the whole point. Isolation leads to misery leads to emotion"

"When were you going to tell me, Damon has been keeping her locked up?" Brie folds her arms "She's been here for days. She hasn't improved at all?"

 **"** Look, she doesn't want to, Brie, not yet. She's devastated; she lost her brother, she attacked her friend, she killed an innocent woman"

"And how are you going to help her? By torturing her?"

 **"** It's not torture, it's an intervention. The only chance we have with her is to provoke her, to trigger something. Fear, anger, self-pity, anything"

 **"** Let me talk to her. Before any more interventioning. If she's weak, she can't hurt me. _Please_ , just let me try"

Stefan still looks reluctant but they go down to the cellar "Good luck"

He leaves. Brie looks at Elena for a few moments, sympathetic. She withdraws a bottle of blood from her pocket "I brought you something. It doesn't have any vervain in it, I swear. I just figured a little blood might help you think straight" She approaches Elena, holding out the bottle after she opens it. Elena pauses for a moment before seizing on the bottle and drinking it desperately "For the record, I don't agree with what they're doing. I mean, I agree that you need to turn your humanity back on, but I don't think that making you suffer is the way to do it. That's not who you are"

Elena spins the empty bottle on the stone floor "What makes you such an expert on who I am?"

 **"** Because we've been friends for a long-time Elena"

 **"** I tried to kill you, Brie. I'm not exactly friend material anymore. You should move on" Elena continues to spin the bottle on the floor until Brie reaches out suddenly and stills it.

 **"** I am not going to give up on you. You're in pain, you're lashing out, I get it. But you can't stay this way forever. We're about to graduate, and start new lives! And you deserve"

"Are you seriously talking about high school graduation? Brie, do you realize how pathetic you're gonna look in that cap and gown, pretending to be human while your gran fake-smiles and just counts down the minutes until you leave town so that you can stop being a reminder that her granddaughter is a repulsive, blood-sucking control freak monster, oh wait she doesn't know does she?"

Brie, losing her patience, stands up and turns away "It's really too bad Stefan stopped me before I put you out of your misery, but hey, here's to second chances"

Elena vamp-speeds over to Brie to attack her. Brie holds her off while Elena growls, teeth bared. "Elena" Elena doesn't let up, so Brie snaps her neck. Elena falls to the floor. Stefan returns, standing behind Brie. She speaks without looking at him. "Do whatever you have to do" She turns and looks at him "I'm gonna be upstairs" She walks past Stefan and leaves.

As Brie gets upstairs she takes out her phone and calls Bonnie "Bonnie! Where have you been? I've left, like, ninety million messages"

 **"** Studying French. We still have final exams, remember?" Bonnie said as she was lying on her bed with books spread out on her bed in front of her.

The last thing Brie needed to think about was exams and Brie starts to groan **"** Ugh, don't remind me. Look, this whole thing with Elena...it's about to get brutal, and I know that she's not your favorite person right now, but I could really use you over here"

 **"** For what, moral support? Or so you can check up on me?" Bonnie said sitting up on her bed

 **"** Moral support! And maybe just a tiny check-in to make sure that Silas isn't playing any more pesky little mind games with you"

 **"** I'm fine, okay? Silas doesn't control me anymore. And I think I'll pass on the invite. Elena tried to kill me. I'm not quite ready to forgive and forget. I'm gonna call you later, okay? I gotta go" Bonnie hangs up.

Damon noisily sets down a fire extinguisher and Elena startles awake, groggily finding herself strapped down in a chair on the main level of the house before a closed curtain. Stefan walks around the room, which is dimly lit. "Good, you're awake. Thought you could use a little sunshine" Stefan pulls the curtain back a little, allowing a ray of light to creep closer to Elena. She looks down at her hand "Looking for this?" He holds up her daylight ring in front of her. She reaches for it as much as the bonds on her wrist will allow, but Damon pulls it away "Oh, you know the rules: bad girls don't get nice jewelry"

Stefan lets go of the curtain, shutting out the sun again. Elena speaks impassively "You took my ring. I'm devastated and bored. Can I go back to solitary now?"

 **"** No. I kinda like you in the hot seat. Whenever you're ready, brother"

Stefan reaches for the curtain again. "Am I supposed to be scared?"

 **"** You will be. And when you are, focus on that fear. It's the key to getting your humanity back"

 **"** You're not gonna burn me. And even if you do manage to get my emotions back, I'll remember all this, and I'll hate both of you for it"

Damon and Stefan share a look. "Tsk. Worth the risk" Stefan pulls the curtain wide and the sunlight starts to burn Elena's hand. She yells in pain, struggling in her chair. Her arm ignites into flames for a few seconds before Damon puts it out with the fire extinguisher and Stefan lets go of the curtain. "Bet that feels better, huh? How about a little gratitude, or any human emotion whatsoever, and we can stop this?" Elena, still gasping and straining against her bonds, mumbles something. "I didn't quite catch that"

"I said, I'm gonna kill you" Elena said with no emotion.

 **"** Bingo! See? There's a little rage. I should've figured that'd be the first emotion that came out of you. I tend to pull that out of people"

Stefan crouches down in front of Elena. "Elena, look at me. We don't wanna do this, okay? You can stop this right now. It's your choice"

Elena laughs. "It's kind of funny, actually- you being the one to pull back the curtain. I bet part of you enjoys it, since, you know, I dumped you and all"

Damon crouches next to Stefan in front of her "Wow. That was downright vindictive. See? I think now we're breaking through that tough candy shell and getting into the ooey-gooey rich center of your humanity. This is good" He looks at Stefan "I think we should shine some light on the subject"

Stefan gets up and goes to the curtain "Let me guess...this is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me?"

 **"** Look, I know what you're going through. After all you've done, you're afraid to face the guilt you'll feel if you turn your emotions back on. Only way we can help you is to make the alternative hurt even worse" Elena laughs at him softly and closes her eyes. Stefan wrenches back the curtain, Elena's face starts to burn and she screams in pain.

Outside the boarding house, Brie and Matt talk. Brie hears Elena's scream coming from inside. "We have to keep talking. If we don't keep talking, then I won't be able to stop myself from listening in, and I can't _stand_ to hear Elena in pain"

They come to a stop in a patio area; Brie sits in a chair and Matt leans against a half wall. "Well, what do you wanna talk about?"

Brie pauses **"** I don't know. Anything"

Matt starts to move closer to Caroline to sit in another chair "It's gonna work. We're gonna get Elena back"

They hear a door open across the way, and see Rebekah inside through some glass doors, carrying a brown paper bag. "What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

Inside, Rebekah withdraws a takeout box from the paper bag when Matt and Brie come inside "Hi. I don't mean to interfere. It's just, I happen to know all they keep in this house is blood and booze, so I brought a peace offering. Burgers?"

Matt approaches her and takes the box, smiling slightly "Thanks"

 **"** Yeah, we can't really entertain right now, but thanks for stopping by" Brie said sarcastically.

 **"** I think I might stay" Brie gives them two thumbs up and leaves.

Outside, Brie reaches her car but drops her keys. She crouches down to get them when she hears a rustling noise nearby. She stands back up slowly and warily "Who's there?"

She turns around to see Klaus standing right behind her. "Hello, Brianna"

Elena is still shouting in pain from the sun burning her skin. Stefan leaves the curtain open for a few seconds longer then closes them. Elena gasps in relief as her wounds heal. "You're gonna thank me for this. After you turn it back on, you'll realize life with no emotions blew"

 **"** You know what else blew? Being sired to you...going every day believing that I was in love with you. I remember every horrible moment of it, and you, so scared that it wasn't real. Well, guess what- it wasn't. You were right. So go ahead, keep trying to get the old me back. Who knows? Maybe Stefan and I will give it another go"

The brothers take this in for a moment, brushing off her cruelty with indulgent though perhaps hurt expressions. Suddenly Elena breaks free of the bonds on her wrists, vamp-runs toward the window and pulls one of the curtains off the rod, exposing her to the sunlight. She immediately bursts into flames and starts screaming. Damon grabs the fire extinguisher and puts her out while Stefan pats her down frantically. Elena lies on the floor, coughing and laughing while her skin heals "I am the girl that you love. You wouldn't do anything to _actually_ hurt me- you just proved that. So what do I really have to be afraid of?"

The brothers share a look. Not much later, they walk out onto the front lawn, Damon taking a swig of bourbon from a bottle. "So, that went well"

 **"** Every other vampire turns it on, no problem. You kill, you feed, you do all the awful things that a vampire does, and then when you're done you turn it back on. Why is she being so _stubborn_?" Damon punctuates the end of his sentence by throwing the glass bottle at the front of the house angrily.

 **"** Because she has nothing to come back to. Her home's gone, her family's gone, she alienated her friends, she destroyed her relationships—"

Damon interrupts his brother "No, she wants to come back. Scaring the hell out of her should've worked. She's _smart_. She knows we're not gonna hurt her"

 **"** All right, so we get somebody else. Somebody who really will hurt her"

 **"** Who?" Stefan moves his head, hinting tacitly at who he's thinking of. **"** Katherine?" Damon says catching on.

Stefan nods his head "Think about it: she's the reason Jeremy's dead, right? So if anybody's gonna provoke an emotion, it's her"

 **"** So we call her and then what, beg her to help us out of the kindness of her own heart? Are you kidding me?"

 **"** Katherine was just abandoned by Elijah. She has nothing, she has no one. We invite her into our house to come torture Elena? There's no way she's gonna turn that down"

In the woods, Brie is walking with Klaus "Everyone said that you were gone for good"

Klaus nodded "It's true. But I never meant to go without saying goodbye"

 **"** You don't owe me an explanation. You're moving on, by all means, go"

 **"** Well, that's just it, isn't it? I never had any intention of moving on. The truth is, I've tried to stop thinking about you, and I can't"

Brie starts to push past Klaus "Come to New Orleans. What are you afraid of?"

 **"** You! I'm afraid of you"

 **"** Wouldn't it be more accurate to say you're afraid of yourself, your darkest desires? Elena was right, wasn't she? Deep down, you _long_ to have your perfect feathers ruffled"

 **"** How do you know what Elena said to me in that cell?" Brie raised her eyebrow.

Klaus suddenly pins her against a tree "Then again, there's so much to be afraid of, isn't there? Like what I'll do to you if your friend Bonnie doesn't come out of hiding. Where is she?"

Brie then realized that it wasn't Klaus "Silas"

Silas began to shout "Where is she?! She's not at home, she's not anywhere. Bonnie is playing games with me, and I don't like it" He leans in close to speak into Brie's ear "Tell her I'm looking for her. Tell her to come out of the shadows. Tell her that this" He stabs Brie in the chest with a stake "Is only the beginning" Gasping, Brie falls to the ground, unconscious.

Brie phone is on the ground buzzing with Matt's call. She wakes up after it stops, putting a hand to her chest - there's no stake there. She sits up and frantically runs through the woods when Matt appears out of nowhere and stops her. Brie gasps in fright "Brie! Where've you been?"

 **"** Matt, we have to get out of here" Brie said taking his arm.

Matt pushed her hand off his arm "No, Brie, wait. It's okay"

Brie shakes her head "No, it's not okay. Silas is out there and he made me think that it was Klaus"

Matt interrupts her "What are you talking about? What's Silas want with you?"

 **"** He's trying to get to Bonnie. Do you know where Bonnie is?"

"If I knew where she was, I wouldn't bother with you" Matt/Silas grabs Brie's throat. "Now get me Bonnie or I'm going to kill someone. Maybe I'll start with your boyfriend, Stefan" Matt/Silas releases Brie roughly and she runs away from him. She runs up the stairs to a door into the boarding house but she runs smack into Klaus/Silas "No one in the house can help you. Find Bonnie or I'll kill the person you love the most" Klaus/Silas tosses Brie down the stairs and she falls, screaming. She gets up and vamp-runs to her car, she hurries into her car and puts the car in reverse. She starts backing up but sees in her car's rearview camera a figure standing behind her. She slams on the brakes and turns her head to look out the rear window, but there's no one there. A shadow passes on front of the car right before Brie whips back around to see the rearview camera's screen is still person-less. Suddenly Silas appears in his true form right outside her car door's window and she screams. Throwing the car into drive, she speeds out of the driveway.

Back in the Salvatore house, Katherine opens the door to the safe in the cell to reveal Elena sitting in it. "Oh, honey, you look awful" She pulls Elena roughly out of the safe.

Elena is still weak and merely falls out onto the floor "What the hell are you doing here?"

 **"** Your boyfriends invited me. They wanna know if you still have a heart" Katherine grabs Elena, pushes her up against the wall and plunges her hand into Elena's chest cavity, grabbing Elena's heart. "There it is. Your bodyguards won't let me kill you, but I _can_ rip your throat out so I don't have to listen to you whine" Katherine steadily lifts Elena up with her hand in her chest until she releases her and Elena's feet touch the ground again. She pins Elena to the wall by the throat "Poor, delicate Elena, I don't turn it off. I deal with it. You wouldn't last a week as a vampire without everyone fawning over you" Katherine shoves Elena into the safe and locks it, but pauses with her hand resting on the lock. "But I'd _love_ to see you try"

She unlocks the safe and leaves the cell. Upstairs, Katherine tosses back a shot of bourbon and pours herself another while Damon sits on a sofa nearby "All that pain and torture, I've worked up quite a thirst"

 **"** It didn't have anything to do with the fact that Elena called you out on your recent boy trouble, could it? Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear"

 **"** Did you ever think Elena would've been better off if she'd never met you?"

 **"** Are you trying to get a rise out of _me_? 'Cause my emotions are fine. I love Elena. I despise you.

Katherine walks over to the sofa and sits next to Damon, placing her arm on top of its back behind him and playing with Damon's hair "Mm, so romantic, so doomed to fail. You know, as soon as she goes back to her old self, she'll go straight to Stefan even though he is with Brianna. That's the tragedy of you, never get the girl"

Suddenly Stefan enters the room "She's gone. Elena's not in her cell. I'm gonna check the grounds. Find out what she did."

Katherine smirks mischievously **"** Oops. Did I forget to lock her in? Let's just say I've lost interest in Elena's recovery. I'd rather watch her tear through an orphanage. Imagine trying to come back from a spiral like _that_ "

Matt walks into the room with Rebekah "Elena's _gone_? What happened?"

Damon walks toward him and grabs his jacket "Donovan, you're coming with me"

Rebekah turns around and looks at Damon "Why should he?"

 **"** Because Elena's hungry and missing. For once, his life might actually have purpose" Damon summons Matt with a crook of his finger and Matt follows him out of the room.

Elena shuffles weakly through the woods until she hears a car approaching behind her. She turns and waves her arms at it, loses her balance and falls to the ground as the headlights of the truck blind her. She shields her eyes as the driver gets out and walks toward her "Please, help" She sees that it's Matt. "Matt. Thank god you found me"

Elena's face starts to vamp-out and she growls as she stands and moves toward him. "Elena, stop. I know you don't wanna do this. I know you don't wanna hurt me"

 **"** I'm a vampire, Matt. The thing about vampires is that we need to feed" She moves aggressively toward him again, but Matt throws out his hands and backs up.

 **"** No, but you're more than that! You're my friend! You're my oldest friend. You're the girl that I've loved longer than I can remember. Whatever wall you wanna put up, I know that still means something to you" The veins disappear from around Elena's eyes. She reaches out a hand to his face.

 **"** Deep down, it probably does mean something. But I'm really hungry" Her face vamps-out once again and she sinks her teeth into his neck. Elena gives Matt, who is lying on the ground, a light kick with her foot. "Oh, come on, I barely drained an artery" Matt's eyes open and he looks up at her blearily. "Come on! Get up, I'm hungry. My head's fuzzy, I can't think straight. I need more"

 **"** Elena, stop" Matt says softly.

 **"** But you're _so_ good!" She pulls him up off the ground with vampire speed, but Stefan arrives and pulls her off him. Matt sinks to the ground against the truck.

 **"** Hey, hey, you're cut off. Stop it"

Damon arrives and pulls Matt up off the ground. "Enough! You are acting like a little spoiled brat, you know that? You think that we can't punish you. Maybe not. But I can sure punish him" Elena began to speak but Damon interrupted her "Shut up! I'm done playing nice. Turn your emotions back on right now, Elena, or so help me god, I will give you something to be sad about. I will kill him right here in front of you"

 **"** Damon" Stefan warned.

 **"** Don't "Damon" me. She doesn't love anyone? Fine. Prove it. And if I'm wrong, what difference does it make? One less busboy"

Elena and Damon stare each other down "You're bluffing"

Damon snaps Matt's neck violently. Elena gasps loudly, her mouth hanging open in shock. She walks closer, her eyes glistening. "How about now? You feel anything now? You angry I just turned your buddy into roadkill? Or are you sad that the guy that everybody loves is just a bag of bones? Remember when he was a little kid, huh? Warm heart, big goofy smile, his whole life ahead of him. I guess it was a good idea that he was wearing this"

Damon kneels down and lifts Matt's hand, he's wearing the Gilbert ring. Elena falls to her knees and takes Matt's hand into her own, crying "Oh, my god, Matt"

 **"** You feel that weight lifting off your chest? That's joy, because your friend isn't dead. That's emotion, Elena. That's humanity" Elena is openly sobbing, tears streaming down her face. "You're gonna be okay"

Elena gets up and Damon follows her "What have I done?" Elena is pacing and grabbing at her head "I almost killed him-Matt, and Bonnie, and Brie, I just" Damon tries to put an arm around her but she pushes him away "No, no, I mean, that woman, the waitress, I actually killed that waitress-"Stefan moves toward her but she resists. "No, I killed that waitress!" Elena punches through the window of Matt's truck, sending glass everywhere as Stefan and Damon try to restrain her.

Stefan holds her arms on front of her "Hey, hey, look at me, look at me. I know this stage, okay? The emotions are overwhelming you. You just have to focus on one thing, okay?" Elena starts to cry "You just find that one thing inside of you that makes you strong. It's in there, just latch onto it. Channel everything you're feeling into that one emotion. Find the thing inside of you that makes you wanna live. Elena, let it in" Elena calms down and stops sobbing. She seems to find a focus "That's good. That's it. That's it, just breathe it in. Blow everything else out. That's good, that's good"

Elena starts to yell in pain, clutching at her head, but only for a few seconds. Damon reaches a hand toward her "You okay?" He smiles tightly.

 **"** No. I'm not okay. But I'll get better" She walks away; the brothers watch her go.

"She has her humanity back?" Brie asked as she sat on the couch in front of Stefan.

"Damon's plan worked, Elena is back" Stefan smiled and so did Brie. She couldn't believe the plan worked. "But I want you to look out for her today, she's out to get revenge on Katherine"

Brie looked at Stefan as to say 'what do you expect' "And who's fault is that? You did bring Katherine in to "help" Elena switch it back on but that didn't work instead she just provoked her even more and then let her escape to nearly killing Matt"

"No need to place blame, Katherine has had this coming ever since she came after Elena, but after having her humanity switched off and then back on, she's more determined now"

Brie sighs "Fine, I'll look after her but this is the last time, I'm done being on babysitting duty"

Stefan smiles and moves closer to her and kisses her on the forehead "Last time I ask I promise" Stefan says as he places a strand of her hair behind her ear "Just try and take Elena's mind off Katherine"

Brie nods "For you" Stefan smiles and moves closer to kiss her but is interrupted by Elena entering the room.

"Hey Brie, can I borrow your bow and arrow?"

Brie and Stefan looked at each other "For what, Elena?"

Elena grabs her jacket "Today I'm going to make Katherine my bitch and when I am done with her I'm going to kill her"

"Good luck" Stefan mouths to Brie before getting up from the couch and leaving the house.

"So where is it?" Elena said looking around the room looking for Brie's weapons.

"We don't need any of that" Brie shakes her head "We aren't going to go after Katherine today"

Elena makes a face "We? I want vengeance, I'm going to kill her no one else"

Brie nods her head "That's fine but not today" Brie says receiving a groan from Elena.

"Here" Brie holds up a cinder block which Elena punches and breaks it

Elena didn't look too amused "That did nothing for me. How was it for you?"

 **"** Hm. Okay" Brie picks up another cinder block "Again" Brie holds the block up. Elena backs up and kicks the block, using her vamp-speed, breaking it cleanly "Good. Now, focus on letting it go"

Elena groans again **"** Or we could skip the sublimating part, and you can tell me where she is so that I can rip her head off" Elena said smirking at Brie.

 **"** I don't know where Katherine is and, even if I did, I wouldn't tell you"

Elena moves closer to Brie **"** Brie, I was told to channel all of my emotions into one single feeling"

 **"** I realize that, I just figured it would be love or hope or compassion, not unwavering hatred for a ruthless vampire that's 500 years older than you now, give me fifty pull-ups" Elena turns around, jumps up, and grabs one of the exposed ceiling beams; she starts doing pull-ups as Brie walks in front of her.

 **"** You don't think I can kill Katherine?" Elena said continuing to push herself up.

 **"** I don't think you really _want_ to"

 **"** Maybe you're right. Maybe I just want to feel the warmth of her chest cavity as I rip out her heart and watch her face as she realizes I took it from her" She releases herself from the beam, landing on the floor "Nah, I just want to kill her. It's that simple" Taking off her jacket "I'm going to go shower"

Brie sighs and takes her phone out her pocket and calls Caroline. "Care, this isn't working I've tried to get Elena's mind of Katherine, I've tried kick boxing but it's just made her want to kill Katherine even more"

"Well I could take her off your hands for a bit, I'm writing my graduation letter so I could help her write hers" Caroline said as she was sitting outside the Grill.

"That would be great, I'll send her to you when she gets out the shower"

Outside of the Grill, Caroline and Elena are sitting at a table working on their graduation letters "Stamp, please" Elena tears off a stamp and hands it to Caroline "Thank you"

 **"** You don't have to pretend to be nice to me, Caroline. I know this is just a ploy to keep me distracted" Elena sighs heavily.

Caroline looks at Elena's stack of graduation letters. **"** You're done? I'm only on my second batch"

Elena was holding up her single letter "We have family friends in Denver. Other than that, no one cares that I'm graduating and, to be honest, neither do I"

 **"** I know that's how you feel now, but once you get through this hating Katherine phase"

Elena turns to Caroline "Wait, do you know where Katherine is?"

Caroline shakes her head "No. Why would I know where she is?"

 **"** Yeah, but, Caroline, if you did, you would tell me, right?"

 **"** Elena, you're obsessing" Caroline sighing.

Elena grabs Caroline's hand with ferocity. "Caroline, listen to me, if you know where Katherine is then you have to tell me"

Caroline pulls her hand out of Elena's. "I don't, Elena. Chill"

Bonnie is sitting in the middle of a clearing, performing a nonverbal spell. Katherine approaches her. "Hello?" Bonnie ignores her, continuing the spell with her eyes shut tightly. Katherine glances around, as she can hear whispering all around her. "Could you be any creepier?" She says to herself then turns to Bonnie "Why are we here?"

Bonnie opens her eyes "You want me to make you truly immortal so that nothing can kill you. To do that I need to talk to Qetsiyah, which means I need to lower the veil to the Other Side"

 **"** That still doesn't explain why you made me trudge through mud in 500-dollar boots"

Bonnie gets up and turns to face Katherine. She points her arm. "A few miles that way, twelve hybrids were killed at the Lockwood Cellar. And a few miles that way" Points in other direction "Twelve humans died at the Young farm. And this is the site where twelve witches were killed"

 **"** Thirteen, if you don't get to the point"

 **"** It's the Expression triangle. I need to charge all three points and channel the mystical energy from Silas' tombstone. Once that happens, I can drop the veil inside the three points and just long enough to get what I need"

Katherine crosses her arms "And what exactly do you need?"

 **"** Silas has done nothing but torment my friends. Now he wants to unleash hell on Earth. He's evil. In two thousand years, only one person has been able to put him down"

 **"** Let me guess: Qetsiyah"

 **"** If I can contact her, I can ask her how to do it. Now, hand me the rock" Bonnie said holding her hand out, waiting for the stone off Katherine.

 **"** You're going to flood Mystic Falls with dead, supernatural creatures so that you can "ask" a two-thousand-year-old witch to do, not one, but two favors?" Katherine laugh "I think I'll take my business elsewhere" Katherine starts to walk away, but after a few steps, an invisible force keeps her from leaving. Katherine backs up and tries to leave again but is unsuccessful "What the hell?"

 **"** I linked us" Katherine looks back at Bonnie, with intense hatred **"** Which means you're stuck with me for the day. Silas can be anyone. If he gets in your head and figures out that I don't need a full moon to do the spell, it's over" She looks smugly at Katherine, who walks back towards Bonnie "Now, about that tombstone"

Katherine, still linked to Bonnie, trails along in the woods to the Lockwood cellar "Ugh, that Lockwood cellar reeks of wet dog. I'll be staying up here"

 **"** You obviously don't know how this works" Bonnie takes a step toward the stairs leading down to the cellar, and Katherine jerks forward against her will, as though invisible ropes are connecting her to Bonnie. She continues to grunt uncomfortably as she's forced to follow.

They finally reach the cellar "You realize I'm not just some wandering child in a supermarket, right? I'm a vampire that can kill you"

 **"** Whatever happens to me, happens to you. Do you really think I want you here?"

 **"** And what is here? Oh, right, 12 dead hybrids. This should be good" Bonnie closes her eyes in concentration as she draws power from the mystical energy. The winds pick up, causing the chains to rattle against the bars.

Back in town, a couple enters the Grill while the wind whips their hair around from outside. Brie, Caroline and Rebekah are at the bar with Matt behind it "Is it supposed to rain tonight?"

Rebekah gives Caroline and weird look **"** Do I look like a meteorologist?"

Caroline gives her an exasperated look as Brie was looking over at Elena, who is across the room throwing darts. **"** Well, someone needs to do something, before she explodes"

"I got this" Rebekah takes a bottle of liquor and a shot glass and walks over to Elena "Drink. You're putting everyone on edge" Elena tosses the shot back, then places the glass on the table and resumes throwing darts. "So, what's the deal? I'm new to this whole emotional switch situation"

 **"** It's not complicated. See that dart board? All I can picture is Katherine's face" Elena throws a dart forcefully and hits the bullseye.

 **"** So your emotions are on, they're just dialed to rage"

 **"** Look, Rebekah. I get that we had our Thelma and Louise thing back when I had my humanity off, but let me make one thing clear: we're not friends" Elena walks over to retrieve her darts when Caroline joins them.

 **"** What about us? Are we still friends? All those things you said when your humanity was off - is that how you really feel?"

 **"** Caroline, I really don't feel like going down memory lane" Elena walks back to line up her next throw.

 **"** Well, what about when you said, and I quote, "You're a repulsive, bloodsucking control-freak monster"? Did you really mean those things?"

Elena hesitates over her next throw, then gives it up and looks at Caroline "If you're waiting for an apology, you're not going to get one. I can't let myself feel bad, because if I feel bad, then I feel everything, and we've all seen how well I handle that"

"Just as Elena throws another dart, the lights go out throughout the restaurant. Outside, the wind is so strong it's blowing debris through the air and the sounds of heavy objects falling and breaking are heard nearby. Matt, Brie, Caroline, and Rebekah go outside to investigate as the other patrons leave, running for cover.

Rebekah shouts to be heard over the wind "The power's completely out"

 **"** I'll call my mom - maybe she knows what's going on" Caroline goes back inside as a police cruiser drives by with its sirens sounding.

Katherine and Bonnie are inside the house where Pastor Young blew up the Council "Twelve humans burned to death here. They died in vain for Silas" She closes her eyes; the lights go out as the winds pick up.

 **"** What did you do?"

Bonnie opens her eyes "I linked the final hotspot. It's time to drop the veil"


	34. Graducation

Damon and Stefan are with the Sheriff at the hospital, where the lights have also gone out. They pore over a map by the light of Liz's flashlight. She marks the map with a marker as she talks "The power outages originated at 3 different places in town: the Young farm, the Lockwood estate, and a blown transformer off Old Miller Road"

Stefan picks up the marker and connects the dots. "Well, these are the locations of the Silas massacres. It's the Expression triangle. Bonnie must be doing the spell"

 **"** So much for needing a full moon" Damon says in a sarcastic tone.

 **"** And there's something else: one of the power company guys has a daughter who goes to school with Bonnie. He saw her leaving the Young farm an hour ago...with Elena"

 **"** But...Caroline and Brie are with Elena"

 **"** Looks like Bonnie Bennett has a new doppelgänger friend"

 **"** So how do we find them?" Liz asks looking from Damon and Stefan.

 **"** Well, they must be somewhere in the triangle. My guess is that they would be right in the middle" He draws a point in the middle of the triangle, then circles it.

 **"** And where exactly might that be?" Stefan and Damon look at each other, then back at the map.

Stefan and Damon drive up and park outside the school. The winds are still blowing fiercely. Elena comes out to meet them. They shout to be heard over the wind. "Where's Brie?"

 **"** Inside looking for Bonnie. I think we should split up. Damon and I can look outside while you and Brie look inside"

 **"** All right, let me know if you find anything" Stefan heads for the school while Elena and Damon start walking.

Elena walks in front of Damon to stop him. **"** Where's Katherine?"

Damon chuckles softly " _Now_ I get it. The one brother shoots you down, you ask the other one. Great" Elena gives him a look and he rolls his eyes **"** Do you not notice all of the end-of-the-world crap going on right now?

 **"** Tell me that you don't want her dead. After everything that she did to you? Stringing you along for hundreds of years?"

 **"** Elena, we don't need to list all the reasons that I hate Katherine. What we need to do is find Bonnie. Come on" He tries to pass her but she blocks him.

 **"** I don't care about Bonnie. I care about killing Katherine"

 **"** They're together, okay? So maybe you should do a little less threatening and a little more looking. Come on" He starts walking and Elena follows.

Stefan enters the cafeteria carrying a flashlight. He finds Brie there "Hey, there you are. Any luck?"

 **"** I searched the whole school. She should be here" The noise of something falling over breaks the silence and they both turn toward it "What was that?" They walk over to the kitchens cautiously. Brie approaches the freezer and opens it to reveal a bag of ice, which starts dripping onto the floor.

 **"** Hm. Ice is melting"

Brie shuts the freezer door "Ugh. It just doesn't make any sense. This is the center of the triangle. If she's gonna do the spell, she has to do it here. _This_ is where they should be"

 **"** Actually, I think we're in the right place" He shines his flashlight onto the floor, where the water from the melting ice is flowing down a drain "Just the wrong elevation"

The shot moves through the floor to underground, where Bonnie and Katherine are standing in a cave. "Okay, this is the center of the triangle. I'm ready. Now, give me the tombstone"

 **"** The fact that this spell hinges on some crappy hunk of blood-rock does little to inspire my confidence.

She hands Bonnie her bag and Bonnie starts taking the tombstone out of it "It's filled with the calcified blood of Qetsiyah, one of the strongest witches in the world. It'll work"

Upstairs, Damon and Elena enter the school while Damon talks to Stefan on the phone. The shots alternate between them. "If I remember correctly, I think there's an entrance in the basement"

 **"** Well, where's the basement?" Stefan says on the other end of the phone.

Elena starts speaking loud enough for Stefan to hear through the phone "Off the boiler room"

"All right, I'll meet you there" Damon hangs up, stops and turns round to face Elena. "You're going to have to stay here" Elena gives him a 'are you kidding me' look. "We really need to stop Bonnie from doing the spell, and if you get all murderous and screw it up"

Elena crosses her arms "Is that really the reason?"

 **"** As self-righteous as Stefan is, he has a point. Behind your rage, there is a tidal wave of feelings - _all_ of your guilt, _all_ your grief, every emotion you've ever put off, and killing Katherine's gonna let it all in. And if you can't handle it, then we're back to square one"

 **"** And if I can? What if killing Katherine takes away all that grief and guilt? What if killing Katherine finally lets me feel all the good things that I've lost? Damon, help me. As soon as I get over this hurdle, I'll be me. I'll be able to think clearly, I'll be myself, and everything will go back to normal"

Damon has looked reluctant through the entire speech, and continues to look so. **"** She's strong, and crafty, and you'll die"

Elena sighs, pauses for a moment, then suddenly stabs Damon in the belly with a stake. He groans in pain and sinks to the floor **"** At least I'll die trying" Elena vamp-runs away as Damon falls to the floor.

Bonnie is holding the tombstone in her hands, concentrating on it. The rock starts "bleeding"; blood oozes out as though it's fresh and drips onto the ground "What is happening?"

 **"** I'm channeling the Expression triangle" Torches placed around the cave suddenly ignite, illuminating the cave with dancing light "It's done. The veil's down" Katherine smirks expectantly.

Bonnie is kneeling on the ground as Katherine paces impatiently "Tick-tock, Bonnie"

 **"** Stop talking. I can't reach out to Qetsiyah with you breaking my concentration every 5 seconds"

Rolling her eyes, Katherine walks over to a rock and leans against it, sighing loudly. She stares at Bonnie for a few seconds before tensing and standing up "Bonnie. Did you hear that? Someone's coming" Bonnie shushes her "I have vampire hearing, Bonnie, and there's someone here. Unlink me so that I can go stall them while we wait for Qetsiyah to show up"

 **"** I'm not letting you go"

 **"** Then at least give me some slack" Bonnie grants her permission as Katherine walks away and heads down one of the tunnels "Silas...come and get me" The sound of someone moving with vampire speed makes Katherine swivel around a few times, but they're moving too fast for her to catch sight of them. Finally the intruder stabs Katherine in the belly - it's Elena.

 **"** Hello, Katherine" In the chamber, Bonnie shouts in pain and falls to the ground. She pulls her hand away from her belly - it's covered in her own blood.

Elena pushes Katherine into the boiler room upstairs. "I let you out of your cage, and this is how you thank me?"

 **"** No. _This_ is how I thank you" She vamp-speeds over to Katherine, pulls her up and slams her face against a hot pipe. Katherine shouts in pain as it burns her face. In the cave, Bonnie shouts in pain as her face burns, too. She writhes on the ground, gasping and yelling, when Stefan and Brie rush into the chamber.

 **"** Bonnie. Bonnie, what happened?" Stefan asked as Brie kneeled down beside Bonnie.

 **"** Katherine. Find Katherine. We're linked"

Brie looks up at Stefan "Then unlink her. You go, I'll stay with Bonnie" Stefan leaves the chamber.

Upstairs, Katherine continues to shout as her face burns against the pipe. "You have done nothing but suck the happiness out of my life. Well, now I get to kill you" Elena gets her stake read "Goodbye, Katherine" She makes a swing at Katherine but is thwarted by Stefan, who launches himself on her and pins her to the ground "Stefan!"

 **"** Thanks for the save, handsome" Katherine says smiling.

Stefan struggles to restrain Elena. "Get the hell out of here before I kill you myself"

 **"** Really? _I'm_ your biggest problem right now?" They watch Katherine walk out of the room.

Back in the Grill, Rebekah takes the flashlight into the back room and she hears the sound of friction, like an object being swiped against something, along with someone grunting softly. Rebekah investigates and shines her light on Brie sitting on the floor. Brie how are you still here" She sees that Brie is repeatedly cutting a open wrist with some sharp object. "Oh, my god"

 **"** I have to keep cutting" Brie said as if she was in a trance.

'Brie' crouches beside Bonnie. "Bonnie, are you okay?"

 **"** Yeah, now that I unlinked her"

Brie helps Bonnie up "What are you doing down here?"

 **"** Waiting for Qetsiyah"

 **"** You might be waiting a while" Brie disappears, and the disfigured Silas appears behind her. "Qetsiyah isn't coming, Bonnie"

She turns toward him. "Silas. But - I saw Brie. How? I thought you couldn't get inside my head.

"That's what I wanted you to think. I can make you see whatever I want you to see. Am I a disfigured monster?" Stefan/Silas appears behind Bonnie; she swivels around as Silas keeps changing form "Of course not. The monster is what I wanted you to see" Silas turns back to Brie "That's the beauty of all this. You have _no idea_ who I am" The changes back to Stefan "Or what I look like or how deep I am inside of your head. You thought that you were more powerful than me?" Brie/Silas appear "I am stronger than you can imagine. I defeated the Hunter's Curse in minutes. You thought that you could betray me? You can't. I will always be _one_... _step_... _ahead_ "

Back in the Grill, Rebekah has brought Brie into the main restaurant. Brie looks as though she is in a trance while Rebekah holds her hands on either side of Brie's head. "Brie, hey, snap out of it"

 **"** I need to bleed. Silas wants me to bleed" Brie said still in the trance.

 **"** Stop it, you're hallucinating!

Brie makes a grab for a weapon on the bar "Just let me do this. I need to do this"

Rebekah tries to restrain her "You're going to cut your hands off!" Matt, across the room, talks on the phone with Damon.

 **"** She's been here this whole time - that means Silas is with you"

Rebekah is still struggling to hold Brie "Let go of me!"

 **"** Have you tried compelling her?" Matt asks approaching the two.

Rebekah shakes her head "I can't, she's on vervain"

 **"** Let me go!" Brie said trying to worm her way out of Rebekah's grip.

Rebekah lifts one of the graduation invitations on the bar "Look, Brie, you're graduating and you Grandmother and Grandfather really want you to graduate with both your hands!"

 **"** I need to keep cutting, I need to keep cutting, I need to keep cutting" Rebekah suddenly swings at Brie and slaps her across the face. Brie stops her intonations and straightens up, holding her face with her hands for a moment. Rebekah waits with baited breath for her reaction "Bitch!"

Rebekah looks relieved " _There_ is the Brie I know and loathe"

Bonnie is talking to Brie/Silas. "Stay away from me" Brie said trying to move away from him.

 **"** Gladly" She turns and walks a few paces "Once you finish the spell. Then, when the veil is dropped completely, I can take the cure" Brie/Silas pulls the small, pill-shaped cure out of her pocket "I just want to pass on, Bonnie. I'll even let you kill me. I'll be out of your life for good"

 **"** But every dead supernatural creature will be roaming the earth"

 **"** Well, if you don't help me, _I'll_ be roaming the earth"

Bonnie shakes her head "I was never gonna drop the veil"

 **"** I'm curious: what was your plan? Pow-wow with Qetsiyah? Brainstorm ways to put me down? Qetsiyah's not coming. She wants me on the Other Side with her - for eternity.

Damon's voice echoes in the tunnels "Bonnie? Bonnie?"

 **"** That sounds familiar" Brie's voice morphs into Alaric's, and suddenly his form is standing there. "Maybe Damon will convince you"

 **"** I won't let you—"Bonnie begins to speak.

 **"** You won't let me what?" Bonnie starts to gasp for breath "You feel that, Bonnie? The air thinning...barely enough to breathe" Bonnie sinks to the ground, unable to take a deep breath. Alaric/Silas chuckles and leaves the chamber, taking the flashlight with him. In the tunnels, Damon encounters Alaric. "Whoa, it's just me. I called Stefan, he's heading for Elena. Did you find Silas?"

 **"** Yep" Damon swings the butt of his flashlight at Alaric's face, knocking him to the ground. Damon drops the flashlight, picks up a length of chain and starts to strangle Alaric with it.

 **"** Damon, it's me!" Silas says choking.

 **"** No, you're not. I've spent more time in these tunnels than I care to admit, and there's no way you just came from the school. Your mind games don't work on me, Silas" As Alaric continues to make choked shouts, Bonnie enters their tunnel.

 **"** I may not be able to kill you, but I _will_ stop you" She closes her eyes as she concentrates, her hair blowing in a sudden breeze. "I will make the blood clot in your veins. I will make every bone, muscle and joint in your body turn to stone. You won't have power over us anymore" Alaric/Silas turns away as his body hardens, groaning in pain. His face starts to change back to what it really looks like.

 **"** What the hell is happening?"

 **"** He can't hide behind his mind-control anymore. He's becoming his true self" Silas hardens completely with his hand covering his face. Damon looks round to look at him.

 **"** Who exactly might his true self be?"

Bonnie shrugs her shoulders **"** I guess we'll never know" Bonnie is talking to Damon and Stefan "You need to get rid of Silas' body"

 **"** Well, there's a slight problem, Medusa. Even though you turned him into stone, if he gets one more drop of blood he's back to his old mind tricks"

 **"** All right, so let's do what we should've done to Klaus - let's drop his body in the middle of the ocean"

Elena approaches them "Bonnie?" Bonnie looks round at her. "I don't know what to say"

 **"** You don't have to say anything"

 **"** But I was so horrible to you"

 **"** You weren't you. I know what that's like. I wasn't me for a long time. We can talk about that later" She smiles. "You've got some catching up to do"

She nods at Jeremy, who comes up behind Elena "Thank you, Bonnie"

 **"** I'll give you guys as much time as I can" Jeremy hugs her and they part "But I have to go put the veil back up" Bonnie leaves.

 **"** There isn't enough time" Elena says turning around to Damon.

 **"** It'll never be enough time"

 **"** Damon, I'm sorry that-"Elena begins to speak but gets interrupted.

 **"** _Stop_. The most important thing right now is Jeremy, and saying goodbye" Elena turns to look back at Jeremy, then hugs him again, crying.

Stefan walks into the Grill and sits at a table. Brie enters the room and sits down across from him, setting down a bottle "Good, you're here. We need to celebrate"

 **"** Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to, ah, celebrate"

"What's wrong with you? Silas is dead, or whatever, and you're just sitting here like a bump on a log"

 **"** There was someone that I thought I would see today, and, I didn't. That's all"

 **"** You better mean me" Stefan and Brie look at each other.

 **"** You've got to be kidding me" He turns in his seat to see Lexi standing behind him. He smiles and stands to embrace her.

Lexi looks at Brie "Thank you for keeping an eye on this one" Brie smiles.

Stefan and Lexi are walking down a street "She punched you in the _face_?" Stefan nods as Lexi laughs "Take a hint!"

 **"** So wait, you've been back, what, 5 minutes and you're already laughing at me?"

 **"** No, I've been laughing at you for a while, you just haven't been able to see me"

 **"** Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?

Lexi links her arm with Stefan's "Trust me, I do. Although I see I've been replaced" She looks at Stefan suggestively.

 **"** What are you giving me _that_ look for?" Stefan asks raising her eyebrow.

Lexi smiles "She's cute"

 **"** Do _not_ start" Lexi rolls her eyes.

Bonnie is arranging some candles when she senses someone nearby. Her grams is standing a few feet away. "You have to put up the veil" Bonnie shakes her head "What are you doing, Bonnie?"

 **"** I can bring Jeremy back, I can keep him here. Elena needs him. This was always the plan. Jeremy wasn't supposed to die."

 **"** It was the will of Nature. There is no magic in this world that is strong enough to challenge it"

 **"** I have _every_ magic! I have the spirits!" Bonnie raises her hands and the flames of the candles shoot up tall. " _Phasmatos revenios un Animum"_

 **"** Stop it!"

Veins start to circulate darkly beneath Bonnie's skin "I have the darkness. _Phasmatos revenios un Animum. Phasmatos revenios un Animum"_ The flames climb higher " _Phasmatos revenios un Animum. Phasmatos revenios un Animum!_ " Bonnie takes a huge gasp and falls to the ground.

Bonnie comes to, lying on the ground. She gets up and seems disoriented. Suddenly a hand falls to rest on her shoulder. She turns to see her grams. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. The spell. It was just too much"

Sheila steps aside so that Bonnie can see her own body lying on the ground. "Oh, my god...I'm dead!"

It's daytime. The Mystic Falls High School football field is all decked out for the commencement ceremony. It is deserted except for Kol, who stands at the podium, and the dead hybrids and witches from the Expression triangle sacrifices who approach him. He taps the microphone before speaking. "Welcome back. It was our deaths that allowed this day to come to pass – massacres performed in the name of resurrecting the immortal, Silas. Twelve hybrids, twelve witches, the slaughter of innocents by the so-called hero protectors of Mystic Falls. They risked unleashing hell on earth for their own selfish gains. And today that's exactly what they're going to get"

The students, all in caps and gowns, are milling about the football field getting ready for the ceremony. Brie is leaving a message on Klaus' voicemail. "Klaus, now is not the time to decide that you are over me. I'm gonna call you every ten minutes until you get your ass here" She hangs up as she reaches Bonnie. "Where is everyone?"

 **"** I'm here." Matt says approaching them.

 **"** Where's Elena? We can't do this without her"

Elena arrives right then with Stefan "I'm here" She hugs Bonnie. "Thank you for today"

 **"** I can't believe it. We're actually all here. We are all here together!" Caroline says excitingly and then see's Bonnie shed a few tears "Bonnie Bennett, are you crying?"

Bonnie wipes her tears **"** It's our last hurrah before you guys go off to college"

"I kind of sorta missed the deadline. You know, being an emotionless bitch"

 **"** Well, the perks of being a vampire – we can go wherever we wanna go. We can choose our own roommates." Brie and Stefan chuckle at Caroline's enthusiasm, while Bonnie smiles with tears in her eyes "Aw – group hug!"

Stefan stands there awkwardly **"** Ah, I don't – I don't hug.."

 **"** Oh, get over yourself!" The six of them close in for a joint hug.

Mayor Hopkins opens the ceremony "Welcome parents, family, and friends. What a beautiful day for a graduation. Thank you for joining us today on this special day, as we celebrate our graduates. So let's get started. John Albrecht. David Bance. Sarah Beasley. Um, not to play favorites, but I am especially proud of this next graduate, my lovely daughter: Bonnie Bennett!" Bonnie walks up onto the stage and hugs her father. "Congratulations. I'm so proud of you, sweetie"

 **"** Thanks, Dad for everything" He seems to sense something off about Bonnie's mood, but she smiles and leaves the stage."

 **"** Brianna Colace. Matt Donovan. William Duncan. Caroline Forbes. Congratulations" Rudy says as each person walks on stage to get their diplomas before reading out more names **"** Matt Freeman. Elena Gilbert. Congratulations"

In the audience Bonnie, seated among the students, claps for Elena when Kol suddenly leans forward from the row behind her to speak in her ear "Greetings, little witch"

 **"** I thought Stefan got rid of you" Bonnie said nothing looking at him.

 **"** He did, and I spent the night crawling out of a cement grave "He looks behind his row "Isn't that the witch your friend Brianna killed?" Bonnie turns and is surprised to see Aja sitting a few rows back. "And over there, that's my hybrid friend, Adrian. Also dead. In fact, these seats are scattered with two dozen supernatural faces, all of whom have reason to lash out since their lives were sacrificed in order to make your Expression triangle. All they're waiting on is word from me"

 **"** The veil goes back up tonight. Don't you have anything better to do than harrass me and my friends?"

Kol starts laughing "Well, that's the thing. I don't want the veil to go back up. In fact, I want you to drop it completely, so I and my fallen friends can live, Bonnie. It's time to pay the piper"

Inside the school, Bonnie leads Kol into the boiler room "The Kol I remember was adamantly against hell on earth"

 **"** I was, till I was in hell. Now I would very much like to be back on earth" Kol finally notices Bonnie's body lying on the ground. "What's this?"

 **"** It's me. I died last night. I'm a ghost, and I want the same thing you want. I don't want to be on the Other Side with unfinished business. I want my parents to see me off to college, I want to decorate my dorm room with my best friends. I want to stay here, Kol. More than anything"

 **"** Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it together" He starts walking towards Bonnie, but is stopped suddenly, as though an invisible wall stands between them "What have you done?" He tries to leave through the door they came in, but again is blocked by the magical barrier.

 **"** This will hold you till dark. Then, when the veil is back up, this town will be rid of you for good"

Kol raises his eyebrow "But everything you just said–"

Bonnie nods her head "It was true. But we don't always get what we want, do we?"

Mayor Hopkins finishes reading the names. Alaric talks to Stefan over the phone; the shots alternate between Stefan on the school grounds and Alaric at the quarry. "I would love nothing more than to get out of here before Vaughn comes back to life, but Damon won't take the cure. He wants it for Elena"

 **"** Okay, just hang on a little longer. Brie's calling Klaus again" Caroline hangs up her phone, shaking her head.

 **"** Stefan, we are past the point of Hail Mary phone calls. What do you want me to do, stand here and watch him die, or force-feed him the cure?" Elena casts a significant look at Stefan, who remains silent. "Stefan?" Suddenly a high-pitched noise causes Stefan, Brie and Elena to clutch at their heads in pain. Aja and the other dead witches approach them.

 **"** Remember us, Brie?" She holds her arm out, casting whatever spell is hurting the vampires, until suddenly Klaus shows up, throws a cap like a disk at Aja and it beheads her. Her headless body falls to the ground and the noise stops.

 **"** There are plenty more of these to go around. Who's next? I can do this all day" Brie turns to Klaus, smiling.

Brie stands on the football field in front of the commencement stage. Klaus approaches her. "How'd you get here so fast?"

 **"** I was already on my way" Brie raises her eyebrows; Klaus draws a piece of paper out of the inside of his coat. "I received your graduation announcement. It was...very subtle" Brie shuts her eyes, smiling. "I assume you're expecting cash?"

Brie nods jokingly "That, or a mini fridge"

 **"** Well, I had considered offering you a first class ticket to join me in New Orleans...but I knew what your answer would be. So, I opted for something I knew you would accept" Brie looks at him, waiting. "Tyler is now free to return to Mystic Falls"

 **"** What?" Brie asked as she was shocked, was Klaus going to let Tyler come back.

 **"** He's Caroline's first love and Stefan is yours bur I intend to be your last, however long it takes" He kisses her on the cheek "Congratulations, Brianna" Brie laughs softly, unexpectedly elated.

 **"** Let's get out of here, before twelve angry hybrids decide to pick a fight"

Later, Stefan is loading the car with Silas' body when Damon walks outside "Think the quarry will be deep enough to bury Silas?"

 **"** Yeah, I don't think anyone's gonna stumble on him there" Stefan continues to load the car.

 **"** You want me to,"

Stefan shakes his head **"** No, it's all right. I got Lexi coming with me"

"Good luck brother" Stefan smiles as they embrace and Damon walks back inside.

Lexi and Stefan are driving "You have just graduated for the millionth time. It's time to start living _your_ life"

"Be honest with me Lexi, do you think Brie is the one?"

Lexi nods her head **"** She is. And she will always be an epic love. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually multiple ones – especially for a vampire"

Stefan watches the road for a moment as he drives "Do you like her?" He looks over at the passenger seat, but Lexi has disappeared "See ya, Lexi"

Brie was walking down the Mystic Falls High School corridor for the final time. She looked around the corridor knowing she spent most of her time here. She hears a bang from down the corridor and walks over to investigate but when she goes around the corner. see's nothing there. She turns and Katherine is there "Happy graduation, cupcake" She slams Brie against a wall and then against a door.

 **"** What are you doing?"

 **"** Would you believe I'm having a bad day? She picks Brie up and throws her against a wall of lockers. Brie gets up but Katherine speeds over and kicks up her leg to press her booted foot over Brie's neck "It started when Bonnie denied me my Silas-like immortality"

 **"** Of course, because Katherine Pierce can't be happy with good old vampire-caliber immortality" Brie finally manages to throw off Katherine's foot and uses her leverage to slam Katherine to the ground. Katherine immediately slams Brie back against another wall of lockers. Brie rips off one of the locker doors and swings against at Katherine's face. Katherine grabs onto the door.

 **"** I deserved it. I never had a graduation, or a prom, or, you know, a life. But you did" Katherine swings the door into Brie's face, sending her back-a pace "You have everything, and it's not because you're a good little girl who deserves happiness, it's because you stole mine" Katherine throws the door at Brie, who ducks and the door lodges into the other lockers. Katherine runs at Brie, but Brie blocks Katherine and throws her down the hall. Katherine gets back up. Yelling in fury, Brie rushes at Katherine, who twists Brie's arm and throws her at a fire emergency case – the glass in the door of it shatters as Brie slams against it. Brie struggles on the floor as Katherine walks over, sees a janitor's mop propped against the wall and breaks off the wooden handle.

 **"** I have nothing" She beats Brie with the stick "But I'm about to change that" She kicks Brie.

 **"** Kicking someone while they're down...classy till the end, Katherine"

 **"** _Your_ end" She stabs the broken end of the stick into Brie's throat. Brie gulps and struggles against it as Katherine digs it in deeper.

 _Flashback to earlier, when Brie was trying to give the cure to Stefan "You deserve whatever you want out of life. You deserve this"_

 ** _"_** _Listen...I'm glad you're okay with who you are now. But every single thing I did to get this, I did for you, so that the choice of whether you wanted to be a vampire or not would always be yours"_

Katherine pulls the stick out of Brie's throat and thrusts her hand into Brie's chest, grabbing hold of her heart. Brie frantically reaches into a pocket in her jacket. "Bye-bye, little girl"

Brie finally pulls the cure out of her pocket and shoves it into Katherine's mouth and forces her jaw to close around it. Katherine's eyes widen as the cure dissolves in her mouth, and falls to the floor beside Brie, unconscious. "Have a nice human life, Katherine"

Stefan unloads the canvas bag that contains Silas' remains, but when he tosses it to the ground its contents sound like a bunch of loose pieces. He kicks it and reaches inside to find shards of ordinary stone. Silas appears in Brie's form"Don't bother. I'm not there" Silas approaches him from behind, and Stefan turns and stands.

 **"** Silas. You were stone. They saw you, the spell worked"

 **"** That's the funny thing about spells – they're bound by Nature. Nature demands balance, so every spell has a loophole. The spell that turned me into stone was bound by a witch – a living witch. So when that witch died, the spell broke"

 **"** Bonnie? Bonnie's not dead"

 **"** It doesn't matter, does it? And here's where the mystery of me comes full circle. I created the immortality spell two thousand years ago. I can never die, so Nature needed to find a balance – a version of me that _could_ die. A shadow-self – a doppelgänger"

 **"** So, this is finally your real face? You're another one of them?"

 **"** Not exactly" Silas' reflection in the car window shows a face identical to Stefan's, and Silas takes on his true form. "Hello, my shadow-self" Silas approaches Stefan and stabs him in the gut with a stake "Do you have any idea what it's like to starve for two thousand years?" Silas lets go and Stefan falls to his knees. Silas puts Stefan into the body-sized safe, locks him in and tips it over the edge of the cliff into the quarry. Inside the safe, Stefan bangs against it as it begins to fill with water, shouting out as the water engulfs his face.


	35. True Lies

Sitting on Stefan's bed, Brie is writing an email to Bonnie "Hey Bonnie, How is the summer almost over, and yet I feel like I got nothing done? Sounds like you're having fun traveling with your mom. I still don't know how I'm supposed to do this whole college thing without you. And Caroline agrees; she spent the whole summer designing the color palette for our dorm room, while Tyler's been away helping some wolf pack in Tennessee. Matt and Rebekah have been sending postcards. I think they're in Amsterdam now...or was it Prague? I can't keep track, and honestly, I'm not sure I really want to know. Anyway, I can't wait to see you. When do you get back? Love, Brie"

Jeremy sitting on a park bench, texting on a cell phone. Bonnie stands behind him "Dear Brie..."

Bonnie was sitting beside him looking over at his shoulder **"** Wait, don't start with "dear"

Jeremy looks up from her phone and faces her **"** It's bad enough you're dead – now you're a control freak?"

Bonnie shrugs her shoulders **"** I'm just saying, people don't say "dear" anymore"

Jeremy sighs "All right, fine. How about, "Hey Brie, what's up?"

 **"** Thank you" Jeremy sits on the bench, apparently alone; Bonnie isn't visible anymore. Bonnie's voice narrates the message Jeremy sends to Brie on her behalf.

 **"** Hey Brie, what's up? You guys have no idea how much I miss you. I've been emailing with Jeremy...he says it's been surreal to be alive. If Katherine ingesting the only cure on this earth and having to live as a human isn't justice, I don't know what is" Brie is in Stefan's bathtub, reading the message from Bonnie "I miss you guys. I'm glad you're having a great summer" Brie jumps out the bath and wraps herself with a towel and goes out the bathroom before her phones beeps again. Another message from Bonnie "P.S. Have you heard from Stefan?" Brie ponders this last question.

Damon walks down the hallway and notices Brie looking down at her phone, rubbing the screen with her thumb **"** You okay?"

Brie looks up from her phone and nods "Yeah, I've just got this weird feeling like something bad has to happen, he should be back by now Damon, he's been gone for the full summer"

Damon rubs her arm for comfort "Don't worry, Stefan has probably bumped into some people and has lost track of time, I'm sure he is probably on his way back after dumping Silas's body 100's of feet in water" He pauses before he leaves the room. Brie's smile fades before she sighs and pulls up the contact list on her phone. Her thumb hovers over "Stefan", but after a few seconds she walks to Stefan's room and puts her phone aside and submerges herself on the bed.

The campus is crawling with students and parents moving in while Caroline and Brie make their own way to their dorm. "You're dreaming about Stefan?"

 **"** They're not dreams, it's more of a feeling. Maybe you should call him"

Caroline shakes her head "He'll call you when he's ready, he cares about you so much Brianna, he wouldn't want you to be worrying about him, he would want you to enjoy your first day of college"

Brie nods her head and brings a smile onto her face "We're in college, Caroline"

 **"** We actually made it. We're here!" Caroline said jumping up and down excitingly.

They smile together as Bonnie, unseen, smiles with them "We're all here together"

Brie and Caroline unpack their stuff in their new dorm. Brie looks in a box and looks at the items in the box with a strange look on her face and looks up at Caroline "You brought a panini press?"

 **"** Small appliances, by the fridge.

Liz carries a box into the room "Okay, that's the last one. All right, give me a goodbye hug before I change my mind and drag you home with me" Caroline hugs her mother "You can call as much as you want, you know?" She says tearfully.

 **"** Mom, we'll be fine.

Liz laughs and steps back and looks at Brie "Come here" Brie smiles and gives Liz a hug. "This is where your mom fell in love with medicine, you know? She would be really proud to see you here"

Brie smiles at Liz "Thank you and thank you for letting me stay with you"

Liz lingers for a long moment while they all look at each other, and the girls laugh "Okay, go! Before I change my mind and make you stay"

 **"** I'm going, I'm going! I love you. Bye, girls" Liz leaves and closes the door behind her.

The girls turn to each other excitedly "So? Roomie, I think we should drink to something"

 **"** Well, I couldn't agree more...roomie" Caroline opens her suitcase and pulls out two blood bags; she tosses one to Brie.

Brie raises her blood bag up in the air "To us, and college, and being functional vampires"

 **"** To the next chapter in our lives" They "clink" their bags in a mock toast when there's a knock at the door. With vampire speed, they stash their blood bags and turn to face whoever the visitor is. The door opens and an unfamiliar girl walks in, carrying a load of stuff.

Brie and Caroline look at each other "Uh, who are you?" Caroline asks looking confused.

 **"** Oh, I'm Megan. Your roommate" Brie and Caroline look at each other, shocked and confused. Megan walks and talks with Brie and Caroline on the campus "So you and Stefan are together, but three months ago he left without saying goodbye?"

 **"** Do you think that I should call him?" Brie asks eagerly.

Megan and Caroline respond in unison "Absolutely not!" Megan turns to Caroline "Do you have a boyfriend, Caroline?"

Caroline nods her head and smiles "I do. His name's Tyler. He had to miss move-in day, but he'll be here for the first day of classes"

 **"** Assuming he registers. And picks a dorm. And buys books"

Caroline ignores Brie's comment "Speaking of minding one's own business, let's talk roommate ground rules. Privacy is very important to me" Megan nods her head understandingly "I have low blood sugar. My diet's finicky, so keep your paws off my stuff and if I suddenly get up to leave or disappear for a while, don't follow me or look for me"

Megan looked a little confused at the last bit "Okay...sounds good"

 **"** Great, then we agree on everything" Brie smiles.

Another student approaches them with a flyer "Excuse me, ladies. Party at Whitmore House tonight" No one says anything while Caroline looks at the flyer he handed her.

Brie nods and smiles at him **"** We'll be there."

Jesse looks at Caroline **"** I hope so"

Brie, smiling giddily, wraps an arm around Caroline's shoulders while they watch him walk away "I love college"

Meanwhile in the Quarry, still locked in the safe underwater, Stefan regains consciousness and bangs furiously against it. Soon, however, he loses consciousness again, and begins to have a hallucination. He imagines he is standing at a window, bright light streaming inside, when Damon approaches him from behind, handing him a glass of bourbon. "Wish I could say it gets better"

 **"** The answer's 'no,' Damon"

 **"** Why? So you can keep dying and coming back to life? You've felt nothing but sheer agony for three months. You hallucinate conversations with _me_ to have something to do. Just turn off that pesky humanity switch"

Stefan shakes his head "Won't take the pain away"

 **"** Yeah, but it'll turn off your misery. Your fear, your hopelessness"

 **"** And then what, huh? Let's just say that you actually notice that I'm gone, let's say I get out of this. What good is it if I'm a monster again? How is that better than any of this?" Hallucination-Damon is silent. Real-Stefan lies dead in the water.

Back in the dorms, Brie puts on earrings while watching herself in the mirror, seeming lost in thought until Caroline loudly shuts a drawer and Brie snaps out of it. The shower can be heard running in the background. "Did you notice how Megan's juicer takes up all the small appliance space? She has an entire drawer dedicated to organic linen"

Brie looks in the mirror, looking at Caroline behind her "What happened to privacy?"

 **"** Maybe if she didn't take such long showers, I wouldn't have time to go through her stuff. How are you okay with a third roommate?"

 **"** Because we're trying to be functional, and being functional means we need friends"

 **"** We also need personal space. I mean, what if we suddenly get a craving, and I want to eat her? Or our blood bags go bad because we can't store them in the mini-fridge? Ugh, and what the hell is protein water?" Caroline pulls out the bottle in question, and Brie shrugs. "You know what, maybe if I drink it all, she'll wanna move out" Caroline opens the bottle and takes a sip.

As Caroline picks the bottle up, Brie has a bad feeling about it quickly turna around to stop her **"** Caroline, no– "

Suddenly Caroline coughs up the water as it sizzles in her mouth, collapsing to the floor. **"** Vervain.

The door to the bathroom opens and Megan appears, wrapped in a towel "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Caroline straightens up as Megan walks over with a clean towel to give her "Yeah, she's, uh, she's fine"

 **"** What happened?" Megan wondered.

 **"** Water just went down the wrong pipe. I'm okay, really. I shouldn't have touched your stuff, I'm really sorry" Caroline said haltingly.

 **"** It's fine. It just sounded like someone was _dying_ out here. Well, I'm glad you're okay!" Megan returns to the bathroom, shutting the door.

Caroline quickly turns around to Brie, whispering to her so Megan doesn't hear "She knows who we are – she drinks vervain water!"

Brie shakes her head "That doesn't mean she knows about us"

 **"** Seriously? We share a bathroom with this girl! What if she's a hunter, and she stakes us when we're in the shower? Or she steals our daylight rings while we're asleep and then we burst into flames when the sun comes up?!"

Brie rolls her eyes as she thought Caroline was being a little over dramatic "Don't you think that, if she was a hunter, we'd be dead by now?"

 **"** I think we should lock her up. You know, let the vervain get out of her system, and then we compel her to forget about us"

 **"** Caroline, I'm not kidnapping our roommate! The best way to convince her that we're normal, is to act normal. And do normal, human, freshman-y stuff"

 **"** Such as?" Caroline asks as a grin spreads across Brie's face and she moves her shoulders like she's dancing.

The party is well underway when Jesse, the flyer guy, approaches Caroline and Brie "Hey, I remember you"

Brie looks at Jesse and remembers him "Hey I'm Brie, this is Caroline" Caroline smiles and turns away without another word. Brie looks at Jesse apologetically and follows Caroline. "You can't be nice to the guy?"

 **"** I'm with Tyler"

 **"** Are you? Because he hasn't called, I'm just saying, I don't want you to get your hopes up thinking that he's coming, when he hasn't really shown much interest" They stop suddenly at the entrance to the house, unable to go any further "What the hell?"

 **"** Someone must own this place. We have to be invited in"

 **"** Hey! I was wondering if you guys were gonna make it" Megan said walking up from behind them. Brie and Caroline stand awkwardly in the doorway when Jesse catches up with them.

 **"** You guys going in, or...?" Jesse asks as he looks at Brie and Caroline just standing at the doorway.

 **"** Go ahead" Jesse walks around them into the house.

Megan looks at the girls with a weird look on her face "Why are you guys just standing there?"

Brie looked at Caroline trying to find an excuse then looks back at Megan "We were just waiting for someone, she's late"

Megan looks at her, not convinced but plays along **"** Right. Well, I'm gonna go hang.

Megan goes back into the house, and Elena and Caroline drop their too-bright smiles "Like I said, she knows"

Meanwhile at The Grill, Damon was in having a few drinks at the bar, wondering what has happened with his brother. He takes his phone out his back pocket and looks at his phone and see's he doesn't have any messages from Stefan. He sighs and puts his phone back in his pocket and takes the last slip of his Bourbon and then gets up from the bar stool and turns to see Silas approaching him in Stefan's form "Hello, Damon"

Damon looks at him with a smile on his face "Stefan. Welcome home"

 **"** Thanks" They go in for a hug, Silas pumping a hand on Damon's back with brotherly gusto. Standing back, Silas smiles, and Damon half-smiles awkwardly back.

Back at the Whitmore House, Brie and Caroline hover on the edge of the party outside while Brie leaves a voicemail "Hey, Megan, it's Brie. Just calling to let you know why we left, so call me when you get this. Bye" she says before hanging up the phone.

 **"** Okay, it's settled. When she leaves, we grab her" Brie rolls her eyes **"** Brie, she saw us stuck at the threshold, we might as well have flashed her our fangs"

Brie shakes her head "There's no way that out of the thousands of freshmen, we were randomly paired with someone who knows about vampires" Brie's phone rings and she looks at the caller ID. "Megan's calling. Hey, Megan"

 **"** Brie! You have to help me! He's chasing me!

Alarmed at the panic in Megan's voice, Brie puts the phone on speaker as Caroline leans closer "Megan, who's chasing you?"

 **"** Help me! Oh, my god!" They look up at the upper story of the house, but don't see anything unusual.

Caroline takes the phone as Megan starts screaming over the phone "Megan, can you hear me? Get outside and we can help you"

Suddenly something falls to the ground beside them, and they whirl around toward it. "Oh, my god!" It's Megan. Brie crouches down beside her. Her neck is ripped open.

Caroline examines her neck and looks at Brie **"** Who did this to her?"

 **"** This was a vampire" Brie and Caroline exchange looks before looking back down at Megan's body.

Damon and Silas sit at the bar as Damon pours drinks. Silas reads Damon's thoughts while they each sip their drinks.

"So Katherine's living at Château Salvatore"

Damon lowers his glass as he looks at his brother confusingly "How do you know that?"

 **"** Because I can read your mind!" Silas pauses "I'm kidding, buddy. Katherine called me first. Remember? It's always been me first"

Jeremy walks up to them at the bar. Silas places a hand on Jeremy's arm "Hey, Jeremy. Looking good, man"

Jeremy gets a chill from Silas's touch "Hey, Stefan. Glad you're back"

 **"** Yeah...yeah" Silas looks at Damon "All right, I'll, uh, see you at home" Silas leaves.

Jeremy watches 'Stefan' walk out the Grill and then turns to Damon "Something's wrong. When he touched me, I felt a chill where my tattoo was"

Damon raises his eyebrows at the little Gilbert "What are you talking about?"

 **"** Right before I died, Silas grabbed me and I felt the same thing" Jeremy says trying to convince Damon.

 **"** Silas is gone. Bonnie turned him into a big piece of rock, remember?"

Bonnie appears next to Jeremy, unseen by Damon "I died. Jeremy, I bound the magic that took down Silas. When I died, the spell must've broken. He's free"

Jeremy listens to Bonnie "That was Silas"

Damon shakes his head in disbelief "That's impossible"

 **"** I'm a hunter. Our whole reason for existing is to kill him. I know what I'm feeling, Damon. That - that was Silas"

 **"** I just watched him walk through a crowd of people that saw Stefan. There's no way he could fool that many people at once. I mean, he's psychic, but no one's _that_ psychic"

 **"** What did he want?" Damon thinks, then looks at Jeremy.

Back at the Salvatore House, Katherine sits in Damon's bathtub, shaving her legs with an old-fashioned straight razor, when there's a knock and Silas walks in. "Why are you in my brother's bathtub?"

 **"** Why aren't you?"

Silas sits beside the bath "I will say that's a tempting offer"

Katherine smirks **"** Mmm, he flirts. I like Brie-less Stefan"

 **"** You know, human looks better on you than I would've guessed, Katherine" Katherine smiles at Silas "No, I mean it. You, sitting here all weak and vulnerable. It works" He brushes a hand against her cheek and her smile fades. Suddenly Silas attacks her, grabbing her by the throat "Time for a field trip" Katherine grabs the razor blade and swipes it across Silas' cheek. He loses his grip on her and she runs out of the bathroom, wrapping herself in a robe. She hurries down the staircase while Silas follows slowly.

On the main floor Katherine runs into Damon, who hands her off to Jeremy "Get her out of here. Don't tell me where you're going"

They leave. Damon turns to Silas "God, you're slow. Guess vamp-speed came with the upgrade"

Silas tries to get past Damon but he blocks his path Get out of my way and give me Katherine.

 **"** First, drop the Stefan look" Silas gives a small laugh. "What?" Silas explained to Damon that Stefan's look was his real form "If I have to hear the word 'doppelgänger' one more time, I think I'm gonna actually have to learn how to spell it, well whatever you are, your plan didn't work. The cure's gone. Now, what do you want with Katherine?"

 **"** I could tell you, but wouldn't it be so much more fun if it were a surprise?"

 **"** You're not getting her"

 **"** Damon, how well do you know your brother? Do you really think he would leave town for three months without so much as a phone call"?

 **"** Where's Stefan?"

 **"** He's suffering, like I suffered. So, call the hunter, bring me Katherine, and then I will tell you where your little brother is"

Jeremy drives Katherine to an unknown destination. "Where are we going?" Jeremy ignores her. "Are you deaf? I said where are we going?"

Jeremy's phone rings and he answers it. The shots alternate between Jeremy and Katherine in the car and Damon at the Salvatore mansion "How far'd you get?"

 **"** You said not to tell you" Jeremy said keeping his eyes on the road.

 **"** Turn around, bring her back"

 **"** What? No!" They hang up and Jeremy makes a U-turn "What are you doing? Jeremy, stop! You can't take me back there, Jeremy. Damon wouldn't just hand me over. Silas clearly got in his head"

 **"** Shut up, Katherine!" Katherine looks around wildly, desperate. She jabs her hand at Jeremy's seatbelt buckle "Hey, what the hell!" The tires squeal as Jeremy starts to lose control of the car. Katherine grabs the wheel and drives them head on into a utility pole.

Officials surround Megan's body and cover it up while Brie and Caroline observe from a short distance away "What is happening? Our roommate is dead, there was a vampire at the party..."

 **"** We don't know what she knew or who she told. We should get out of here" Caroline as she turned on her heels.

Brie turns to Caroline, realizing something "Caroline, I left that message in her voicemail!"

Caroline shows Megan's phone to Brie "Don't worry, I took her phone"

A policewoman approaches them. "Hey, girls? I'm Dianne Freeman, I'm head of Campus Security. Are you okay?" They both nod "I understand Megan was your roommate. I'm so sorry you had to find her like this"

 **"** Do they know what happened?" Caroline asked as she crossed her arms.

 **"** We found a note. Apparently, she was struggling with severe depression. Your roommate took her own life"

Caroline raises her eyebrow "You think _this_ was a suicide?"

The officer nods her head "We're convinced it was a suicide, but we can't seem to find her cell phone. Have you seen it?" They both shake her head "Okay. If it turns up, let us know?"

They nod, and the officer walks away. Brie turns to Caroline " _What_ is going on?"

Back at the College, Caroline listens to Brie's voicemail on Megan's phone "Delete" She hits the necessary button. She and Brie arrive at the door to their room, which is ajar.

Brie cautiously pushes the door open "Someone's been in here"

 **"** Megan's tablet's gone"

 **"** Along with her so-called suicide note. Can I see the phone for a second?" Caroline hands it over and Brie looks through the photos in it.

 **"** It just doesn't make any sense. First, the roommate we're not supposed to have might know about vampires, and then happens to be killed by a vampire, and now the school's covering it up? Seriously, who is this girl?"

 **"** Whatever's going on, it's not just about our roommate. It's about me" She holds up the phone to show Caroline a photo "That's Megan – with my mom"

Katherine stumbles outside of the wrecked car while Jeremy lies immobile on the ground several yards away. "Hey...please.." Katherine, her face scratched up, glares at Jeremy, who struggles to breathe and reaches a hand out toward her. She turns and hobbles away.

Sometime later, Jeremy lies unconscious while Bonnie speaks to him "Jeremy, hold on. Hey, I know you can hear me. Jeremy" Bonnie turns at the sound of a car pulling up behind her. It's Damon's car. He vamp-speeds over to Jeremy.

 **"** Jeremy! Gah!" Damon bites into his wrist and shoves it over Jeremy's mouth, feeding him his blood "Open your eyes, Jer. You do not get to die on me, you hear me? I'm supposed to be taking care of you, you little punk! Wake up, or I'll kill you myself!"

After a beat, Jeremy moves and wakes up "Katherine – is gone" He said, struggling to get his words out.

Damon sighs in relief and hugs Jeremy's head close to him "I don't care"

Caroline is in bed listening to a voicemail from Tyler "Hey, Caroline. I've put a lot of thought into this, and decided to defer school for now. This werewolf pack I'm helping...they need me. I know it's lame to do this over the phone, but I figure this way it's harder for you to kill me. I'm really, really sorry, Care...but this is important"

The message ends and Caroline hangs up. Brie is lying in her bed awake and hears Caroline start to cry "You okay?"

 **"** Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine" Caroline said wiping away her tears.

Brie turns in bed to face Caroline. **"** I'm sorry, Caroline"

Caroline turns toward Brie "I'm really glad that you're here"

 **"** I'm really glad you're here, too" They each turn back to go back to sleep, though Brie looks pensive.

Stefan continues to struggle underwater, with more hallucinations. In his hallucination, he's back in front of the window with sunlight streaming in and Damon standing behind him. "You're thinking about it. Flip the switch, brother. Put yourself out of this misery. Please"

 **"** Did you forget how long it took me to come back last time? Everything I lost in the process?"

 **"** You don't deserve this, Stefan. You did the right thing – you walked away. You let us be happy, and this is what you get in return? How is that fair? Hey" Hallucination-Damon turns Stefan round to face him, and he looks into Stefan's eyes "Just turn it off. Turn it off"

Stefan closes his eyes; in real life, he's stopped thrashing in the water. Suddenly, Brie appears to him in the hallucination "Wait. Stay with me, Stefan" She puts a hand to his cheek.

Stefan was shock to see the love of his life in front of him, he thought he'd never see her again "What are you doing here?"

 **"** I know this is torture, but stay with me. Your humanity is the one thing that makes you who you are. Don't let go. Please, Stefan. For me" Stefan nods in the hallucination, and lies still in the water. Stefan hallucinates that he is lying on a blanket near the quarry with Brie "We could be doing anything right now, Stefan. Be anywhere. Why here? Why this?"

 **"** These are the good moments...the simple ones, the ones that matter. These are the moments that keep me from falling apart"

Brie smiles, and leans down to kiss Stefan "This can't last forever. You're just distracting yourself" Suddenly Brie starts choking and spitting up water. In real life, Stefan starts drowning again.

It's daytime. Outside the dorm building, students lay flowers at a memorial for Megan. Brie enters her dorm room to find Caroline rifling through the contents of a cardboard box "Megan's memorial outside is growing by the minute"

 **"** Ugh, college kids are _so_ dramatic. She was on campus for, like, one day. She couldn't have made _that_ many friends"

Brie thought she was being insensitive "Caroline, she's dead. You can stop competing with her"

Caroline sighs "Sorry, I'm in a mood"

 **"** You talked to Tyler?" Brie said looking at her.

 **"** He's deferring from enrolling and deferring from returning my phone calls, so I'm deferring from having sex with him ever again"

 **"** How's the snooping going? Any explanation why our vervain-laced" Brie looks back to check for eavesdroppers "vampire-slaughtered roommate had a picture of my dad on her phone?" Caroline shakes her head as Brie suddenly remembers something, and hands a folder to Caroline "Oh, um, I went by the hospital this morning — Megan's death certificate. It says she died of suicide. No mention of the gaping vampire-bites on her neck. So, whoever signed off on the cause of death was part of the cover-up, just like the Founders Council back home"

 **"** Dr. Wesley Maxfield"

 **"** A.K.A., our Applied Microbiology professor. I switched our classes around, so that we could—" Brie says until she gets interrupted by Caroline.

 **"** Applied — what, what? Uh, Brie, we are supposed to be taking Intro to Communication. What happened to getting drunk and making bad decisions about boys? What happened to our fun freshman year at college? I am supposed to be a drama major!"

 **"** You're not going to be an Anything major if we get exposed as _vampires!_ " Brie stops, realizing her voice had been rising. Both she and Caroline take a deep breath, and Brie smiles "We are still gonna have our fun year, Caroline, but we have to protect ourselves. The way Damon kept his secret in Mystic Falls was because he infiltrated the Founders Council. So, bust out those alleged acting skills, and let's get on it, okay?" Brie smiles at her, and finally Caroline relaxes and smiles back.

Damon stands at the edge above the quarry with Sheriff Forbes "Damon, I know I said I'd help you find your brother, but I can't dredge this entire quarry. It's enormous"

 **"** I'm aware of that. I mean, clearly that's why we wanted to dump Silas' body, here — because it's big and deep and no one would find him. Now, say I'm Silas, and I wanna take over my doppelgänger's life. Why wouldn't I dump him in a place that's big and deep, where no one would find him"

 **"** Damon, I already agreed to hold off on telling anyone about the Mayor's death until you figured this all out, but I can't devote those kinds of resources to finding _one_ person who may or may not be down there"

 **"** But it's a place to start. And if Stefan's down there, that means he's been drowning over and over again all summer. Do I need to further elaborate the source of my urgency?"

Liz nods her head "I'll get some deputies on it"

Damon puts his hand on her shoulder "Thank you, Liz"

Caroline and Brie enter the lecture hall for Dr. Maxfield's class. They pass by Jesse on their way to their seats "Hey, Blow-Off Girl. Aren't you a freshman? How are you in this class?"

 **"** What? I love" Caroline stutters, looking at the blackboard "Applied Microbiology...It's, like, my favorite biology. You know, little things are just so...cute"

 **"** Are you going to the bonfire tonight? Or are you just gonna get really close and then turn around and leave again?"

 **"** She'll be there" Brie gives him a thumbs up and Caroline pushes her away to a few rows back. Caroline gives Brie a look "What? You said you wanted to make bad decisions about boys. He's cute, he's interested, and most importantly, unlike Tyler, he's _here_ "

Caroline narrows her eyes at Brie, but doesn't respond. Just then, Dr. Maxfield walks into the lecture hall "Morning, everyone. I'm Dr. Maxfield. First name is Wes, but call me Dr. Maxfield. One day, when you're out of med school, you'll understand. So, you're all going to this bonfire tonight, right? Well, here's a quick history lesson for you. Whitmore was founded as a hospital during the Civil War. Deadliest war in American history — over 600,000 casualties. Disease was so prevalent that once a week, they had to gather all the dead, rotting bodies, put them in a pile, and light the whole thing on fire. So tonight, when you're getting drunk and partying, stop for a second, close your eyes, and imagine the rancid smell of a hundred rotting corpses"

 **"** Creep-y" Caroline says as she mumbles to Brie.

"But hott-ie." Brie mumbles back to Caroline.

 **"** Which brings us to microbiology because that rancid smell comes from a very specific bacteria. Isn't that right, chatty girls in the back? Brie and Caroline, still smiling from laughing quietly together, turn to face Dr. Maxfield, their smiles fading "And what is that bacteria?"

Brie looks around the classroom, awkwardly as everyone was watching her waiting for her answer "Uh, that's the, um...um...I don't know"

 **"** Maybe because you're freshmen, who shouldn't be in this class. How do I know? I'm observant — a skill you'll learn in Bio 101, _down the hall_ "

Dr. Maxfield points to the door, while Caroline and Brie shift uncomfortably in their seats. Later, outside, Brie talks to Damon on the phone. The shots alternate between Brie at Whitmore and Damon at the quarry. The Sheriff's deputies have arrived at the quarry and are readying an inflatable boat "It was _mortifying_. We just sat there in silence"

 **"** You want me to beat him up?" Damon joked.

"Not yet. Whatever he knows, I'm gonna get it out of him **"** Brie runs into Silas. **"** Stefan?" Damon was still on the other line "Stefan's here, right now"

 **"** Turn off your phone" Brie, under Silas' mind-control, smiles and pulls her phone away.

 **"** Brie, woah, that is _not_ S-" Brie ends the call, and Damon hangs up, thinking. Silas gives Brie a small smile.

 **"** I know you're upset that I didn't call, so I just wanted to apologize in person" Brie hugs him.

 **"** _Never_ do that again, okay? I thought something terrible happened to you" Brie said still hugging him tightly, she missed him soo much. "Where did you go?"

 **"** Well, that's not important. I'm sure Damon will fill you in eventually"

Brie pulls away from Silas "You talked to Damon? Because I just spoke to him, and he didn't really say anything"

 **"** Oh, weird. Maybe he has his hands full with the whole, you know, Jeremy situation"

Brie raises her eyebrow "What Jeremy situation?"

 **"** Oh, it's not a big deal. Jeremy got expelled and then he and Damon got in this fight, and Jeremy bolted..."

Brie tries to catch up **"** Wait, how do I not know about this? Where the hell is Jeremy?"

 **"** That's why I'm here. I was hoping maybe you'd know" Brie just looks at Silas, incredulous.

Back at the Dorms, Damon walks in and shuts the door behind him. Caroline is wearing only a towel and turns around, expecting Brie, but is shocked to find Damon instead. "Damon! Towel, knock!"

Damon looks around the room for Brie "Caroline. No one cares, no. Hey, where's Brie?"

Caroline shrugs her shoulders "I don't know. She probably went to the bonfire to get more intel on our weirdo professor"

 **"** Silas is here. He's with Brie, pretending to be Stefan. Get dressed"

 **"** I thought that Stefan dropped his body in the quarry..." Caroline remembers something "Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Brie was right. All summer, she's had this pit in her stomach about Stefan" Damon gives her a look **"** I don't know. She just said that she had this weird feeling that something was wrong with him"

Damon throws some more clothes at Caroline "Just put some clothes on. Meet me out there. We have to find her"

Silas and Brie are still walking around outside "Jeremy's still not answering. I'm gonna hold onto your phone in case he calls back"

 **"** Why are you so worried about him?"

 **"** Damon made a mess, and I wanna clean it up" Brie's phone buzzes in Silas' pocket. He reads the text message from 'unknown' which says "Katherine Pierce. Route 9" "Sorry, I don't mean to cut this short, but someone says they just saw Jeremy on Route 9. Do you know where he might be going?"

 **"** Route 9? Wait, who texted you?"

Elsewhere on the campus, Damon walks through crowds of students looking for Brie. Suddenly Silas talks to him "Hello, brother. But I suppose distant nephew is probably more accurate"

Damon walks up to him and grabs a hand around Silas' neck "Where the hell's Brie?"

Silas uses mind control "There's no need for violence, Damon. You'll find her eventually" He pulls Damon's hand off his neck; Damon seems unwilling, but can't resist Silas' mind-control forcing him to "There you go. Look, I get why you like her. I mean, I have a soft spot for brunettes, too."

 **"** You expect me to believe you came all this way just to talk to her?"

 **"** No, that doesn't really make much sense, does it? But if I told you exactly what I did, then it would ruin the fun. Enjoy the bonfire, Damon" Silas pats Damon on the arm and walks away.

Elsewhere at the bonfire party, Brie fills a cup with beer from a keg. She has some difficulty with tap when Jesse lays a hand on her arm suddenly, surprising her "I got that" He finishes filling her cup and hands it to her. Brie chugs the beer "Whoa...uh"

 **"** Boyfriend drama" Brie said putting down the beer down.

 **"** Wow. Boyfriend drama, kicked out of class...today's not your day"

 **"** What is his deal, anyway?"

 **"** Tell you what — help me grab some more firewood, and I will tell you _everything_ you need to know" Jesse leads Brie to a well-lit shed. "I had Dr. Maxfield for a few classes last year. He's a jerk, but he's brilliant, so I'll give him a pass. Jesse grabs a block of firewood with a sharp end and holds it casually in front of him while he speaks "There's a rumor that he's...a part of this secret society on campus. All I know is that a few times a week, they supposedly meet at Whitmore House. But you didn't hear that from me"

Damon suddenly vampire runs into the shed and knocks Jesse over the head. "Damon? What the hell?"

Caroline walks in and sees Jesse on the floor "Seriously? That's Jesse. I kind of liked him"

Katherine is sitting at a campfire at their campsite, staring at one of the shotguns across the fire, when Jeremy and Matt return "Don't even think about it"

 **"** Please. I wouldn't even know how to use it. I've never shot a gun in my life. Didn't need to — I was much more deadly"

 **"** I'm gonna go get some wood for the fire. I'll be back" Matt leaves the campsite.

 **"** I survived childbirth, the death of my entire family and five hundred years of running from an immortal hybrid. You can understand why I'm a little upset that I'm on the verge of being defeated by a sinus infection" Katherine coughs and shivers, rubbing her hands together. Jeremy stands and drapes a blanket over Katherine's shoulders without a word, leaving Katherine more than a little surprised. Elsewhere in the woods, Matt holds a lantern aloft when Silas appears behind him. At Silas' voice, Matt whirls around.

 **"** Not a word out of you. You can't talk, and you can't scream" Silas saying using mind control on Matt.

Matt looks confused, but realizes that his will is still intact "Yeah, actually I can" Matt starts to shout "Jeremy, run!"

At the campsite, Jeremy grabs Katherine's hand and they start running "Why can't I get inside your head?" Silas grabs Matt's head between his hands, trying to read his thoughts.

He snaps Matt's neck. Matt falls to the ground, dead, but wearing the Gilbert ring. After a few seconds, he gasps and stands up, looking around. "Jeremy?" He sees Jeremy and Katherine running towards him "Jeremy, hey, there you are, man. What" They run past Matt without acknowledging him "What the hell?"

Bonnie walks up behind him "Freaky, isn't it? The feeling...the void...the emptiness"

Matt turns around "Bonnie, what's going on? Where the hell am I?"

 **"** The Other Side. The Gilbert ring brought you here when you died. That's how it works — temporarily brings your spirit here. To go back, you have to reconnect to your body"

Matt looks around and doesn't even see his body in sight "My body's not even here"

 **"** That's because each time you die, you wake up farther and farther away from it...and you wander the Other Side until you find it"

 **"** Wait. If I'm on the Other Side, how can you see me?"

Bonnie sighs as she knew she had to tell him the truth "There's something you should know..."

Back in the dorm room, Brie gets up, picks up a water bottle, smiling. She opens it, tips it into Damon mouth and holds his face upright while the water burns him — it's Megan's vervain water. Damon slaps it away, choking and coughing. Brie starts tying Damon to the chair with pieces of clothing "Silas got into your head, didn't he? What did "Stefan" tell you to do?"

Brie picks up a field hockey stick and breaks it in half "Get you alone, weaken you, and then kill you" She pours more vervain water down Damon's throat. After she pulls the bottle away, she goes to stab the sharp end of the broken stick into Damon, but he sprays a mouthful of vervain water at her, and she backs away, shouting in pain. She seems to snap out of her trance. "Damon, I'm so sorry, I— What the hell is happening?"

 **"** You're in some sort of Silas-trance, but I think you snapped out of it"

Brie looks confused "Silas? But I—"

 **"** Before you ask, no, he's not in the quarry. It's a common misconception. You talked to him today."

 **"** How is that possible? I was in a crowd full of people. I hugged him, I was talking to him about my life, wait, if that was Silas...where's Stefan? What happened to Stefan, Damon?" She starts shouting "Where is he?"

 **"** Can we talk about this when you don't have that murdery look in your eyes?"

 **"** You're right. Every time I look at you, all I wanna do is kill you" Brie said throwing more anger and aggression towards Damon.

 **"** It must be Silas' mind-control. He's using your anger at me, like a trigger. You have to resist it"

 **"** I'm trying!" Brie throws down the broken stick and puts her head in her hands, trying to calm down. She sits in a chair, grabs the iron poker from next to the fireplace, and stabs herself in the thigh with it, pinning herself to the chair. She yells out, shuddering in pain "Tell me what's going on"


	36. Orignal Sin

On The Other Side, Matt wanders around with Bonnie, looking for his body "It actually hasn't been so bad. I have Jeremy, and I see Grams sometimes. Last night with my dad was the first really hard time...I'll be okay, I just have to get past these next few days"

 **"** Bonnie, you don't have to pretend like it's okay. Your dad died, and _you_ died. That's not okay"

Bonnie shrugs her shoulder as she didn't have a choice **"** It has to be, because there's nothing I can do about it"

 **"** I am _so_ sorry" Matt hugs Bonnie. She finally lets herself cry, sobbing into Matt's shirt as she hugs him back.

Back in the woods, Jeremy finds Matt's body. "Matt!" He crouches over the body, and sees the Gilbert ring on his hand.

Silas appears "Now, if my best friend died, I'd at least pretend to cry. Which leads me to believe he's not really dead. I take it that tacky old ring somehow protects him?"

 **"** Too bad you can't get inside my head to find out for sure. Hunter's perk"

 **"** See, that's what you don't get. When I can read your mind, I at least have use for you. Now...I'm just gonna kill you"

"You can try, but none of your abilities work on me, so right now, you're nothing. Slower than a vampire, weaker than a vampire. I, on the other hand, am a hunter" Jeremy picks up a small hatchet from the ground. "Plus, I work out" Jeremy throws the hatchet at Silas, who leans and dodges it. Jeremy runs at Silas, shoving him up against a tree. Silas pushes him off, and Jeremy staggers back. They throw punches at each other, each blocking them until they come to an impasse. Silas head-butts Jeremy in the face; Jeremy staggers back again. Silas takes the lantern and swings it at Jeremy but misses. Jeremy goes at Silas again and grabs him in a headlock from behind. Silas breaks a small branch off the tree in front of him.

 **"** You might be stronger than me, but you're forgetting...that I...am immortal" Silas slowly pushes the sharp end of the branch through his own chest, until it impales Jeremy behind him. Jeremy groans in pain until Silas pulls the branch back out; Jeremy collapses. Silas picks up the hatchet, looking at Jeremy, who is crouched on all fours. Silas raises the hatchet, but suddenly he is struck by a gunshot to the chest — Katherine has shot him.

Jeremy looks up at her "I thought you didn't know how to use that"

 **"** I figured it out" She shoots Silas again, and he's heard falling to the ground.

Matt and Bonnie are still looking for Matt's body "I think someone moved my body. It's weird, but I can feel it...it's like I'm drawn to it"

 **"** There it is" They see Jeremy and Katherine at the truck; Matt's body is in the bed of it.

 **"** So, if this happens every time I die with the Gilbert ring, the second I go back, that means I'm just gonna forget about all of this. I'll forget that you're dead. Bonnie, you and Jeremy can't keep this a secret anymore. I'm sorry your dad died. I know it's hard, but how are you gonna deal with his death if you can't even deal with your own?"

Bonnie smiles sadly "It's really good to see you, Matt" Matt nods, then walks toward his body. He lays a hand on it, and suddenly he gasps awake in the physical world.

Katherine looks down at him "Welcome back to the land of the living" Bonnie, invisible in the woods, turns and walks away.

It's morning. Brie loads a suitcase into the trunk of Damon's car. Caroline helps her "I'll be back, roomie. I don't know when, but I will be back"

 **"** Just call me the minute you hear from Bonnie, okay? I've left her, like, a hundred messages"

 **"** I will, I promise" They hug.

 **"** You're gonna find him, Brie" As Caroline leaves, Dr. Maxfield approaches Brie.

 **"** I didn't think Brianna Colace would give up so easily. Sorry about being a hard-ass earlier. It's kind of my thing. You're Colace daughter, aren't you?"

Brie raised her eyebrow, wondering how he knew her mom "You knew my mother?"

 **"** Knew _of_ her. She's a legend around here. Brilliant. I've studied all her research. I can only hope to do the kind of work she did and here I thought you were just passionate about microbiology. I have office hours tomorrow. Come by, we can chat"

 **"** Um, yeah, I would, but I've got other important things on my plate right now"

 **"** Let me know when that plate clears" Dr. Maxfield walks away, leaving Brie even more curious about him.

Damon returns "Well, I guess that's how a hero would do it. Honesty — who'd've thunk it? Aren't you the least bit curious about the whole Nancy Drew and the creepster-professor thing?"

 **"** Caroline will take over. I can't stay here knowing that Stefan's out there somewhere"

 **"** Yeah, well" Damon pulls a ring out of his pocket.

Brie takes the ring and looks at it "That's Stefan's daylight ring"

 **"** Snagged it from Silas yesterday" Damon says as Brie holds the ring in her hand tightly and presses it against her chest.

Damon's phone starts to ring and he answers it "Yeah"

"We found something" Liz said as she stood in front of a safe. Liz, Damon and Brie approach the safe that Stefan was locked in, washed up onto land. "We didn't find anything in the quarry, but a deputy found this a few miles away. Didn't open it. If Stefan's been in there for three months...chances are he's hungry"

Damon lifts the top of the safe open, and they see a bloody corpse inside "Oh, my God. That's not Stefan"

Damon shuts the safe **"** Well, you were right. He was hungry. I bet he still is"

It's night-time. Stefan is walking down a street at night. He looks very tired and can barely walk. He spots a bar and walks towards it. He walks towards the door which has a broken sign that reads "BA" (because the R is broken.) The bartender wearing the nametag "Jo" is wiping the bar and she turns around when she hears Stefan walking in "Hey, man. Last call was 4 hours ago. If you want some coffee, I could put some on, or" Stefan keeps walking towards her non-stop and bites into her neck. She screams. "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahh"

Stefan stops feeding "Run. RUN!" Jo runs away. Stefan walks outside, still looking tired and weak, as the sun rises. He falls to his kness as his skin starts to burn and looks at his hand, realizing he does not have his daylight ring. He groans in pain.

Brie suddenly sits up in bed, scared, as if from a nightmare and takes deep breaths. "You must have restless sleep syndrome or something" Brie said looking over at Damon who was sitting on a chair adjacent to the bed.

Brie closes her eyes as she passes her hands through her hair and takes more deep breaths. Damon looks at her and sees she's worried "I had a dream about Stefan. It was more than just a pit in my stomach this time, though. It was real. It was like I was there with him"

Brie lies down on her side as Damon joins her. Damon decides to lie on his side and face Brie "Tell me"

 **"** It was just so vivid. I saw Stefan walking out of this bar. It had a red awning and this broken neon sign, and he was screaming in pain"

 **"** Well, should I go check in the attic, see if there's a crystal ball? Maybe you can conjure up an address"

 **"** Route 29. Joe's bar" Brie and Damon rise from the bed to see Katherine standing at the bedroom door. "I think I had the exact same dream" Brie and Katherine exchange looks. Damon groans and buries his face in his pillow Downstairs, now dressed, Brie writes in a notebook, then pauses to pick up Stefan's daylight ring and look at it pensively.

Damon enters the room "So I've found 9 bars along Route 29, and none of them are called "Joe's"

 **"** I had a feeling that there was something wrong _all_ summer, and I ignored it. But I was right, Stefan was in a safe, and probably killed whoever it was that found him...I know it sounds crazy, that I'm following some psychic dream, but it's the only lead that we have"

 **"** It doesn't sound crazy—it _is_ crazy. But I'm open-minded"

Katherine joins them "Shotgun" Brie and Damon look at her "What? I get carsick in the back seat. Another charming, human side effect you stuck me with."

Brie looks at Damon "Please tell me that she's not coming?"

 **"** Trust me, I have _no_ interest in Katherine's well-being, but for some reason Silas wants her real bad, and if Silas wants her, I want her more"

 **"** Can't we just stash her in the cellar? Or maybe a deep, dark well with a pair of water wings?"

 **"** Do you really think that I wanna take a road trip with you, America's most boring, self-righteous vampire? Just remember, Damon wouldn't have to play bodyguard if you hadn't shoved that cure down my throat"

 **"** You were trying to kill me!" Brie said getting defensive.

 **"** I will admit, though, I take great pleasure knowing that you wasted your one shot at a human life on me I wanna find Stefan just as much as you do, and not just because I don't wanna be a pawn that you can trade off for his life. I care about him—I always have. And since we've been having the same dream...makes me think you care about him just as much"

 **"** Okay, train's leaving the station. Choo-choo!"

In a cabin in the woods, Stefan wakes up to find a woman staring at him. He sits up quickly "I don't want to hurt you, so get away from me before I rip your throat out"

 **"** Hello to you, too. I brought dinner" Tessa holds out a blood bag. Stefan hesitates for a moment, then grabs the blood bag savagely and starts to suck it down "A vampire doppelgänger who's burdened by a conscience. Now I've seen everything"

Stefan looks at her "You saved me from burning to death outside that bar this morning, didn't you?"

Tessa nodded "And I pulled you from the quarry before that. That is, I figured out where you were and told the former owner of this cabin to pull your lock box from the water. You thanked him...by biting off his head"

 **"** How do you know I'm a doppelgänger?" Stefan questioned as he didn't know how she knew things about him.

 **"** Because I've seen your face before on someone who wasn't you. How much do you know about Silas?"

 **"** I know that he's a bloodthirsty immortal who's killed more people than I can count, and that was before he stole my identity, locked me up in a safe, and dropped me in the bottom of a quarry I came very close to flipping off my humanity switch, but I didn't because I knew if I ever got out, I wanted to be myself when I killed him. He's a monster, and I'm going after him" Stefan stands up as though to leave.

 **"** Except you'll burn to death in the sun without your daylight ring. Silas wasn't always a monster. He used to be a simple man in love with a simple girl...his soul mate. Silas and I were the two most powerful members of a gifted people called Travelers. When we were engaged to be married, we decided to reach even further"

"Yeah, look. I know the story. Everything was great for Silas until some witch named Qetsiyah or whatever came by and screwed him over, right?"

Tessa shook her head "Wrong. You don't know the story. Silas convinced Qetsiyah that he loved her so she would make the immortality spell, but when she found out that he was just using her, she dumped him in a tomb with a cure, hoping he would take it and die, because she had created a supernatural limbo to trap his soul, now Silas wants to destroy that supernatural limbo. Once the Other Side is gone, he can take the cure, become mortal and die, and finally pass on and find peace"

 **"** Look, if you really are Silas' one true love and you're not dead, then why don't you just do us all a favor and run off into the sunset together?"

 **"** Silas was _my_ true love. I never said that I was his. _I'm_ Qetsiyah, that sane, rational, well-adjusted woman you seem to know so much about" Tessa drags a finger along the wall, leaving a line of blue flames in its wake, which leads to the fireplace and ignites. "Clearly you've heard the man's version of the story, the one where I'm a back-stabbing lunatic who ruined everything for Silas, a raging bitch-witch whose obsession with vengeance created a whole new dimension of suffering in the afterlife"

 **"** What are you doing here? I thought you were dead and on the Other Side"

Tessa looked out her window **"** I was—for two thousand years" She turns around to Stefan "But I came back...for you"

Damon is driving his car, with Brie in the passenger seat and Katherine in the back. "You sure you know what you're looking for? Last bar had a red awning and a neon sign"

 **"** I'll know when I see it"

Katherine pops her head out between the front seats "Me, too"

 **Damon** : Didn't ask you.

 **"** I'm just trying to make conversation. Anything to drown out the sound of eggshells breaking. So, Brie, I couldn't help but overhear. You've been dreaming about Stefan _all_ summer?"

 **"** They weren't dreams. It was just a bad feeling, like something wasn't right with him"

 **"** Oh, no, yeah, sure. I totally get it. There's still a connection between you two. Maybe deep down you know that he was your one true love and leaving him alone to drown Silas's body himself was a big mistake"

 **"** Ignore her. As soon as the vervain's out of her system, we'll compel her and we'll put her on mute"

 **"** Or maybe Stefan's been trying to reach out to you all summer, but you've been too distracted with college to help him so he reached out to the person that he trusts—me. Brie turns a long-suffering look at Damon. "Nah. You're probably right. Brie and I had the exact same dream on the exact same night. Why would that mean something?" Neither Damon nor Brie respond; Damon looks troubled.

Damon pulls his car into the parking lot at Joe's Bar, and he and Brie quietly get out of the car—Katherine is asleep. "Are we really just gonna leave her in the car?"

 **"** The only time she shuts up is when she's sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb our peace and quiet" Brie stops walking toward the entrance and Damon turns back "I thought you said this was the one"

 **"** It is. It looks exactly like it did in the dream. Isn't that a little freaky?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of freaky. Let's go see if Stefan's inside" They walk in and see the girl the Stefan attacked, working behind the bar.

 **"** Can I get you something?" Jo said behind the bar.

 **"** Yeah, sure" Damon starts compelling her "Why don't you tell me what happened to your neck, Jo?"

 **"** Some sicko attacked me, bit me, told me to run, so I did, and when I looked back, he was on fire"

Brie looks at Damon "The sun must have come up. He doesn't have his daylight ring"

Damon looks back at Jo "And then what happened?"

Jo tries to think about what happened "Some woman shoved him into a truck, drove away. She was driving Cam Peterson's truck. He lives about ten miles down that dirt road out back. Here. Look like you could use one of these" She pours Damon a shot.

"Hmm. I could. Thank you" He throws it back, swallowing. Suddenly he starts gagging and coughing, his mouth and throat sizzling "Vervain!" He says hoarsely"

Nadia enters from the back room "I told her to pour him a drink or I'd kill her"

 **"** Who the hell are you?" Nadia raises a gun at Damon and Brie. Katherine enters the bar, not realizing what's going on until it's too late and Nadia sees her. Nadia points the gun at Katherine and Katherine stops and puts up her hands "Which one of you is Katherine Pierce?"

Brie vamp-runs at Nadia, throwing her against a table "Katherine, run!"

Nadia's eyes vamp out, she straightens up and throws Brie against the wall with vampire strength, then vamp-runs out of the building. Damon helps Brie up "Wonderful. Now we've got a vampire bounty hunter to deal with. Let me guess: Euro-bitch was not part of the dream?"

Brie shakes her head "I've never seen her before"

 **"** Yeah. Well, whoever she was, she wants Katherine, which means she's probably a Silas spy"

 **"** I'll go chase after her. You find Stefan" Brie says before she tries to walk out the bar.

Damon grabs her arm and pulls her back **"** Wait, what? No, she almost killed you"

 **"** We don't have time for a detour. Damon, Stefan's hurt. Find him"

 **"** Wait. No. Stop. Just wait. Any sign of trouble, you let her go, do you understand me? I don't care how bad Silas wants Katherine. She's not worth the hair on your head. You got me?" Brie nods "Go!" They part ways.

In the woods, Katherine runs through the woods, stumbling through overgrown plants until she comes to a stop, crouching and looking over her shoulder. Suddenly someone grabs her and she spins around, standing up to find Brie, and she sighs in relief. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really glad it's you. My leg is cramping and I'm freezing. Do you mind if I, uh—can I borrow your sweater?"

 **"** Let's go before she doubles back" Brie turns to go, ignoring Katherine's request.

 **"** Why didn't you kill me?" Katherine says as it makes Brie stop in her tracks.

Brie turns around "If Silas wants you, that means you're leverage"

Katherine shakes her head "No, I mean, after you shoved the cure down my throat. I _was_ trying to kill you. Why didn't you finish me off?"

 **"** You think that because we share the same dreams and both care about Stefan that we're alike, but we're not. I value my humanity, which is why I let you live—to give you a chance to find whatever shred of humanity's buried underneath five hundred years of bad behavior"

 **"** Well...thank you. I'm glad to know that you care, even if you are a condescending bitch"

Suddenly Nadia appears behind Brie and breaks Brie's neck. Brie falls to the ground, unconscious. "Do I have to knock you out, too?"

 **"** Not necessary" Nadia grabs Katherine and man-handles her away.

Stefan sits bound to a chair by vines and is surrounded by a circle of herbs on the floor. Damon opens the door and Stefan looks up. "Stefan. You couldn't call a brother?" Damon sees him tied up to a chair "What the hell is going on here?"

 **"** Well, Silas' ex-girlfriend decided to come back from the Other Side"

 **"** Qetsi-whatever?" Damon is trying to untie Stefan when Tessa shows up behind him, holding a flower.

 **"** It's _Qetsiyah_ " Tessa looks at Stefan "Do you see why I want to change it? You won't be able to break those vines. The spell won't release him until I get what I want"

 **"** Well, I guess the rumors are true. You are a ray of sunshine. Question—why is my brother wearing your compost pile?"

 **"** I'm going to link Stefan to Silas. Casting a spell on his doppelgänger will neutralize Silas' mental powers. Once he's weakened, I will force him to take the cure"

 **"** Well, that's a great idea, force the cure down his throat. The cure is gone, done, it's ingested"

 **"** Katherine, you mean? I'm aware of her condition. She was supposed to be with you"

Stefan looks up at Damon "Wait. Katherine took the cure?"

 **"** We have a lot to catch up on, Stefan. Wait a minute. What do you mean supposed to be with me? Did you plant those dreams? What is it, some kind of, like, witch party trick?"

Tessa chants over a bowl "Adatu Khan Leala Ghan Breatvis Shemil"

Damon stands there awkwardly "Okay, well, thanks for the hospitality, but we should really get going if we want to beat traffic"

Stefan nods, agreeing with his brother while he is still bound to the chair "Yep, yep. He's right"

 **"** Probably don't want to get on my bad side" Tessa says beginning to become impatient.

Damon scoffs "You realize you're not the only one with a bad side, right?"

Tessa chuckles **"** Aren't you brave. Without Silas' mental powers, he is an immortal nobody. We can defeat him. Isn't that what you want?"

Stefan didn't want to hear anymore of it "Just do it, all right? Just get it over with. Do it"

Nadia drags Katherine out of the woods and across a road to a car parked near an overpass "Sorry to sound like a broken record, but I like to know the identity of my kidnappers. Who are you and what do you want?"

 **"** Ask me again, and I'll sew your mouth shut" Silas approaches them and leans against the car.

 **"** What are you doing here?" He removes a small device from under the car.

 **"** GPS tracker. It's even better than a locator spell" Cut to the house in the woods: Damon watches Tessa dip her fingers in the hot molten metal in the bowl, then approach Stefan from behind, chanting. She presses her fingers against the sides of Stefan's head, and he gasps "Thank you for working so quickly, Nadia"

 **"** I'm not ready to hand her over yet" Nadia said still holding tightly onto Katherine.

 **"** Oh, that's right. Your fascinating unfinished business I don't care about"

 **"** Get out of my head" Nadia said keeping her eyes on Silas.

Katherine looks at Nadia then at Silas "What are you two talking about?"

 **"** Let go of her arm" Silas uses his mental powers, and Nadia complies "Now I want you to pull out your gun...and aim it at your heart" Nadia obeys. Cut to the house in the woods: Tessa continues to chant over Stefan, who groans in pain. Cut to the road: Nadia lifts the gun and points it at herself "Good. Now, pull the trig—ugh!" Tessa continues chanting; suddenly Silas groans in pain and sinks to his knees, grasping his head. Nadia's arm falls, and the women watch Silas.

 **"** Seriously, what is going on?" Nadia pulls Katherine toward the car.

Back in the woods. The circle of herbs surrounding Tessa and Stefan have ignited into flame "What are you doing to my brother?"

 **"** I'm frying Silas' brain. No one said it would be pretty" Both Stefan's and Silas' eyes begin to bleed. Soon Stefan's head rolls to the side and he loses consciousness. **"** We're done. It worked"

[Damon takes Stefan's head in his hands, propping it up and shaking it slightly. "Stefan. Stefan! Stef. Damn it. Whatever you did to him, undo it"

 **"** Relax. I just burned through his conscious mind. He'll wake...eventually. You sure you want to take him home? Damon starts undoing the vines holding Stefan to the chair.

"So, what are you suggesting, I leave him here with you while I run off and live happily ever after with Brie" Damon chuckles "You have a bad track record with men"

 **"** I want to keep him safe. Now that he's linked to Silas, Silas can't mess with our heads, and as long as Stefan's in the way, you will _never_ be with Brie. Take it from a woman who's had front row seats for two thousand years"

He grabs Tessa's throat; she struggles and manages to cast a spell. "Ah Sha Lana" Damon releases her, grabbing at his head. Tessa throws Damon off, and he falls to the floor. Some time later, Damon hears Brie calling out.

 **"** Stefan!" She runs in the door and sees Stefan. She runs to him, touching his face. Damon watches from the floor "Stefan! Hey! Oh, no. Stefan, hey. Stefan, can you hear me? Stefan! Wake up. Oh, god"

In the Boarding House, Stefan lies unconscious on the sofa, Brie sitting at his side. She lifts his hand and puts his daylight ring back onto his finger. Damon enters the room "Well, he's got his daylight ring back. We're all set for a picnic"

 **"** He's lucky he has a brother who looks out for him. Otherwise, you might have pawned it for a pinball machine" Stefan starts waking up on the sofa. Brie turns to see Stefan sitting and standing up.

 **"** Welcome back, brother" Damon places his hand on Stefan's shoulder.

Brie smiles at him, she was glad to see him again "Stefan...we missed you" She said taking his hand.

 **"** Uh, I'm sorry...I—I have no idea who you people are" Brie's smile falls, and she looks from Damon to Stefan, in shock.


	37. Authors Note

Hi guys i will continue this story soon. Had so much going on with work and being on holiday for 3 weeks. So i will catch up with all my stories in the next couple of days. But i have been working on a new story called 'We Might Fall' if you's take some time to read it, it will be much appreciated thanks.


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